Dust II: Reborn from Ashes
by CessieRose25
Summary: Two years after Gaius' defeat, Falana's hero is born anew from the Life Thread, and Ginger takes in a now infant Dust as her son. Dust grows up not remembering his past adventures, but when disaster strikes, threatening the existence of life as Falana knows it, he once again takes on the mantle of Sen-Mithrarin to save the day, teaming up with allies both old and new on the way.
1. Prologue

**Prologue:**

 _This country used to be ravaged by war, with innocent blood spilled on both sides of the conflict._

 _I lived through this war, and while I lost a lot of people close to my heart, I was lucky enough to know the person who helped to end it. I saw his sacrifice…his acceptance of his fate in the end…it makes all the stories that came from the events pale in comparison._

 _Two years have passed since Sen-Mithrarin saved an entire race from extinction. This country is now trying to rebuild itself…regain the glory it once had. Its people are no longer fading, and we're taking back what we once nearly lost._

 _Peace seemed strange after so long at war, but we treasured it while it lasted._

Ginger brushed a stray bang of bright red hair out of her eyes as she crushed herbs together into the medicine Sarahi needed. The young woman…the only survivor of Fuse's massacre at Denham Village…needed all the strength she could muster at this moment and Ginger was determined to help her with this. Having a family when your homeland was in the recovery process after a war was never easy, but Ginger couldn't help but feel that it was what Sarahi and Moska needed.

"There, that should do it," the young woman smiled, wiping a small bead of sweat from her brow. Gathering the medicine into a pouch, she headed outside of the house she now called home and began walking through Aurora Village. The sun was setting over the valley, casting the village in a red-orange glow that somehow put Ginger at ease. It was so much gentler than the roaring blaze of Everdawn…the blaze that she could still see in her dreams.

Shaking her head clear, Ginger headed towards Moska's, medicine in hand. As she went, she passed Corbin and Colleen, playing out the adventures of an old friend as usual. Ginger laughed at the sight, catching the children's attention.

"Evening, Ginger!" Corbin greeted, his cape draped over his shoulders and makeshift satgat drooping over his eyes.

"Good evening, you two," Ginger smiled back. "So what're our local heroes up to now?" she asked.

"Oh, Corbin's been hiding from Mr Gianni again," Colleen winced. Ginger huffed and pinched her eyes shut, making a mental note to sneak a batch of poison ivy into that man's laundry the next time she got a chance.

"Don't tell me he was trying to turn you into his personal errand boy again?" she sighed.

"Yeah…he keeps saying I'm too old to be playing games," Corbin said. "Just because I'm twelve now…"

"There's nothing wrong with having fun," Ginger reassured. "I'll tell Gianni where to stick his errands next time I see him."

"Thanks, Ginger! You're the best!" Corbin grinned.

"Are you heading over to see Miss Sarahi?" Colleen asked, spying the medicine in Ginger's hand. The medic-in-training nodded. "I have to say, you're amazing with those medicines, Miss Ginger," the girl said. "That stuff you made for me last winter made me feel better than I've ever felt when the snow falls!"

"And you pretty much made my hay-fever vanish," Corbin agreed. Ginger flushed in humility.

"Well, I'm still in training," she laughed nervously. "I do my best to help."

"Moska and Sarahi's kid is gonna be the healthiest baby in Falana at this rate!" Corbin insisted.

"Even Mr Moska's having trouble finding a reason to worry about Miss Sarahi," Colleen giggled. Ginger felt her heart surge with pride — if this was the impact she was already making, she knew that she was already well on her way to making her home a better place…the place her brother would have wanted her to live in.

"Well, I'd best get this to her, then," she said. "Don't stay out too long, okay?"

"We won't!" Corbin promised as he and his sister raced off again.

"See you later, Miss Ginger!" Colleen shouted over her shoulder.

Ginger smiled as the two children disappeared around the corner, Corbin's cape flowing behind him and a wooden sword in an all too familiar shape at his side. Seeing him dressed that way reminded Ginger…reminded all of Aurora, actually…of the hero that had worked so hard to bring peace to their land.

To say Ginger didn't miss Dust would be a lie. To say she had been upset to see him willing let himself get consumed by the fires of Everdawn would be an understatement. To say she'd felt her heart swell with hope when she saw the Blade of Ahrah rise from the volcano after a wisp of cyan smoke wouldn't even be saying enough.

Ginger still remembered that day — Elder Grey-Eyes had addressed the surviving Moonblood soldiers whilst she and Fidget, Dust's nimbat companion, had listened. She could still see the Blade of Ahrah rise from the volcano, chasing what could only be Dust's spirit. She could still hear Fidget's squeaked "Hey!" as she began her pursuit, and her own hopeful whisper of her friend's name as it dawned on her that he may still be alive…that he would one day return.

That day had been two years ago. Ginger had since lived in Aurora Village, the settlement where she'd sought shelter after her home had been destroyed by Gaius' soldiers. In those two years, Aurora Village had grown from the tiny hamlet it had once been to an actual village, with Moonbloods and Warmbloods alike living side by side as society rebuilt itself. A lot of the village's income nowadays actually came from visitors coming to see the village and hear the stories of the people that Sen-Mithrarin, the Hero of Falana, first helped.

Ginger had been training as a physician in that time, unwilling to see anymore lives needlessly lost to the woes that conflict had brought upon the country. She'd done her best to change her pessimistic views on the fate of Falana, and she was a great deal more hopeful than she had ever been since before her village had been destroyed.

Ginger snapped herself out of her musings when she found herself outside Moska's house. Tapping the door, she stepped back and rocked back and forth on her feet for a moment until Moska himself poked his head through the door.

"Oh! Ginger!" he greeted. "You're here!"

"Good evening, Moska," Ginger smiled back. "How's Sarahi doing?"

"Resting up," Moska replied. "You wouldn't believe how much the baby was kicking today." Ginger's smile widened.

"That's wonderful to hear — it sounds like you'll be having a healthy child, Moska," she noted. Moska rubbed the back of his neck.

"Thanks to you," he pointed out. "You've helped Sarahi so much over these past few months — I don't know how we'd ever be able to properly thank you."

"Well, I have her medicine here," Ginger smiled. "Is she eating enough?"

"Enough for an army — the baby needs it too," Moska laughed nervously. Ginger agreed — Sarahi was eating enough for two, but she still needed to keep her strength up. The medicine was nothing more than some nutrient supplements in order to help Sarahi with her exhaustion and also boosted her immune system, helping to protect her and her unborn child. Moska took the medicine and bid Ginger farewell, once again thanking her for her help.

As Ginger walked back through the village, her attention was caught by the shadows of birds flying across the setting sun. She couldn't help but pause at the sight — those shadows made her think of another friend she hadn't seen in two years. That friend was Fidget, the same nimbat that had watched Dust disappear into the flames of Everdawn with her. The nimbat had chased after the Blade of Ahrah and Dust's spirit as soon as they saw them rise from the volcano, and Ginger had always hoped that Fidget would return one day with Dust at her side.

It had been two years now since anyone had seen any nimbat at all.

"Ah!" Ginger yelped as she suddenly collided with someone. Luckily a hand caught hers before she tumbled over.

"Whoa! Be careful, Ginger!" It was Calum, one of the town guards (now in much better armour than his gear from two years ago).

"Sorry, Calum," Ginger flushed. "I was…somewhere else."

"I don't blame you," Calum said. "The twilight hours can do that to you. I don't know about you, but there's always something that seems so…peaceful about sunset."

"I know what you mean," Ginger said. "I was just…thinking."

"About Dust again, huh?" Calum guessed.

"Well…Dust _and_ Fidget, really," Ginger admitted. "I miss them both."

"We all do," Calum comforted. "They were good people. I don't think anyone's likely to forget what they did for this village too quickly."

"I know…" Ginger sighed. "I just…wish I could see them again, that's all." Calum sighed — everyone knew by now of Dust's sacrifice. He didn't want to hurt Ginger's feelings, but he didn't want to give her false hope either. Neither would help the young lady in any way, shape or form.

"I'm sure they're all out there keeping an eye on this world somewhere," he said in the end. "Dust, that sword of his and that nimbat." Ginger nodded but remained silent. Calum decided to change the subject. "Say, Ginger, whilst you're out here, would you mind doing me a favour?"

"Did Bean's hip give out again?" Ginger winced. Bean was the other guard of Aurora and refused to retire despite all insistences from the rest of the townsfolk that he should. Ginger was trying to keep him together but even she, who was known for being relatively patient (emphasis on 'relatively' — she was far from having the patience of a saint), was getting tired of his stubbornness.

"No, although I _do_ think we're getting through to him," Calum replied with a light chuckle. "I hear Corbin's hoping to take up guard training when he hits fifteen." Ginger giggled — Corbin so admired Dust, she could see him taking up a similar mantle of being the protector of something. It would certainly put Gianni in his place, although she wondered how Colleen would take it. "Actually, I was wondering if you could go check on Geehan and Oneida. I meant to return a gardening fork this morning but got caught up with lookout duty. Then we had the usual weekend tourist group and call me paranoid but I don't like leaving those guys unattended. And now I'm back on lookout shift."

"Of course," Ginger nodded. "I'll get it back to them." Calum gave her his thanks and directed her to his house where the garden fork was resting on the window sill. Bidding the guard good evening, Ginger collected the tool and then headed outside of the main village to the farm where Geehan and Oneida still worked in their golden years. A loud snoring sound told her that Geehan was already asleep but Ginger waved when she spotted Oneida basking in the setting sun outside the main house.

"Oneida!" she called. The rabbit Warmblood looked up at the sound of her name and stood up in greeting.

"Ah, Ginger — how lovely to see you," Oneida beamed warmly. She spotted the garden fork in Ginger's hand. "Oh, did Calum ask you to bring that back to us?"

"He did — and he also wanted to apologise for not being able to find the time to personally deliver it," Ginger replied.

"Well, I can't blame the man," Oneida said. "A guard's duty is tiring and he does he best to protect this village. Thank you for bringing this back in his stead."

"It was my pleasure, Oneida," Ginger smiled. "How's Geehan holding up?"

"Lazy as ever, that man," Oneida sighed as another loud snore sounded from the house. "I don't suppose you have anything in your medicinal repertoire that counteracts sleepiness, would you?"

"Well, I'm working on a few things," Ginger said. "But a lot of it is still in the experimental stage. I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to anyone."

"I understand, dear," Oneida nodded. "I suppose some things aren't going to change around here as quickly as others." Ginger unwitting let out a sad sigh. "You miss him, don't you, dear?"

"Am I that obvious?" Ginger laughed wearily. "You're the second person who's asked me that this evening."

"We all share your feelings, Ginger," Oneida reassured. "Dust was a brave and kind young man — I know that my husband and I certainly aren't going to forget what he did for us in a hurry." Ginger smiled softly, but sadness was still etched into her face. "You seem troubled, dear — is something on your mind?"

"Just…been thinking a lot, lately, that's all," Ginger answered. "I've been having strange dreams recently…"

"Would you mind telling me about them?"

"Well…I don't really know what to make of it," Ginger said. "I see Dust in the Everdawn Volcanoes but when I try to reach him everything around me explodes into flames…when I look down I see everyone's faces…" She shuddered. The scene that had been haunting her sleep recently reminded her all too much of the night Zeplich Village had been attacked. "I see a trail of blue smoke…then there's this light…then I wake up."

"Maybe you should see the Moonblood Elder about it?" Oneida suggested, unsure what to make of the dream. The first part seemed like lingering memories of the last time Ginger saw Dust — she'd given a personal account of the day once she'd returned to Aurora from the Blackmoor Mountains with a few of the Moonblood survivors who now also lived in the village. "I remember you telling me that those people have a remarkable way with interpreting dreams."

"I was thinking about it," Ginger admitted. "But…after Sarahi's baby has been born," she added decisively. "She's staying strong, but she still needs the medicine I make for her. I can't leave town just yet…" she trailed off, her ears twitching as she heard a faint noise on the evening breeze. "Oneida, did you hear something just now?"

"What is it, dear?" Oneida frowned. Ginger listened more closely, her ears swivelling around to determine the direction of the noise — she heard it again. It was soft, but high pitched, fluctuating in volume ever so slightly. It was a desperate sound that tugged at Ginger's very heartstrings…

"It…that sounds like crying!" Ginger exclaimed. "It's coming from the west." Oneida's ears twitched themselves.

"Well, my hearing isn't what it used to be," the woman huffed irritably. "I can't say that I hear anything…"

"I'm going out to look," Ginger said firmly, striding past Oneida in the direction of the side of the valley. Oneida let out an exclamation of surprise and just about caught up with the young lady.

"Ginger! It is nearly dark!" she pointed out. "It is far too dangerous for you to be…"

"Someone could be hurt out there, Oneida!" Ginger argued. "I can't just ignore this!" Oneida gave in — there was no dissuading Ginger once she had her mind set on something.

"Oh, very well — at least take this Ring of Sight with you," she insisted, slipping said ring off her finger and placing it on Ginger's instead. "Haley made that for me and Geehan but if you're going to be wondering around the valley after sundown you're going to need it far more than we do right now."

"Thank you, Oneida — I'll return it as soon as I get back," Ginger promised before taking off out of the farm and towards the side of the valley.

Ginger wasn't scared of the dark, nor was she particularly worried about monsters. Dust had taken care of a lot of them two years ago, and any remaining ones were often hunted for bounties if they were causing a local nuisance or hid away in the underground caverns where Surface Dwellers were unlikely to go. Regardless, the Ring of Sight that Oneida had given her was proving to be a godsend — Ginger didn't know how she would have tackled the forest at the base of the valley walls without it.

Before long Ginger came across an old hut — she knew that this was where Cora had lived before she'd gone back to the Sorrowing Meadow to be with her husband's spirit in her last moments of life. Part of Ginger had wondered if the crying she'd heard had come from here — the hut had long since been abandoned and two years of nature had begun to reclaim the old shack. Ginger was about to head into the hut to look inside when the crying sounded again.

"That's further away than I thought… What could be so far out there?" Ginger frowned — the crying still sounded distant, although it was slightly louder than it had been when she'd been talking with Oneida. Whoever it was crying certainly had a healthy set of lungs to their name. It was still coming from the west so Ginger pressed forward as the sun kept dipping below the horizon.

Navigating the walls of the valley was no mean feat, even with the Ring of Sight giving off its glow, and Ginger was silently thanking all of the times she'd gone climbing with Jin as a child in the mountains. Jin had always been the better climber out of the two of them and had would sometimes clamber up to crevices Ginger could not reach which left her stomping in childish frustration while he watched in amusement, but she would always get her revenge with her superior snowball throwing skills later on.

Reaching the top of the valley, Ginger couldn't help but stop and admire the view. The setting sun bathed all of Falana in a pink-golden glow. Ginger couldn't believe that she'd never admired the view from this spot before and although she still had the investigative urge to seek out the source of the crying sound, she couldn't help but pause for a moment.

"It's…beautiful…" she breathed. A few shadows of birds and bats fluttered across the skies and once again Ginger was reminded of her nimbat friend. "Fidget…I wonder if you've found them yet…" she whispered to herself. Ginger kept telling herself that Fidget would return to her if she ever found Dust and the Blade of Ahrah, but she wondered if that would truly be the case. It was Fidget's job, as the guardian of the Blade of Ahrah, to accompany it and its Chosen Bearer wherever they went. If she _had_ found them, maybe Dust had gone on another journey?

The sound of crying snapped Ginger out of her musings again — this time, it was much closer and much louder. Continuing west, towards the setting sun as it vanished behind a forest, Ginger's sense of urgency heightened as she recognised the type of sound she was hearing.

That was the sound of a _baby_ crying.

Her walk turning into a jog, which then became a run, Ginger raced through the trees as they grew thicker until a shimmer made her stop in her tracks.

"Is that…a magical barrier?" she wondered aloud, cautiously approaching the glow. It was a wall of cyan blue, glistening like water suspended in the air. Carefully, Ginger lifted a hand to it, gasping in shock as she passed straight through it without hinderance. The crying was now louder than it had ever been — forgetting the barrier, Ginger ran forward to find herself in a glade, the only light coming from her Ring of Sight as the moon had not yet begun to glow in the sky, as well as a faint glow from the magic barrier surrounding the area.

The light was enough to reveal the source of the crying. There was a bundle of bright turquoise cloth in the centre of the glade, surrounded by wildflowers that seemed to glow with a light of their own. Ginger's eyes widened in amazement — what was a baby doing all the way out here? What had happened to its parents? Were they somewhere nearby? Had _they_ created the barrier? Cautiously, Ginger approached the bundle, where the wails came from unrestrained and tearing at her heart. Ginger was certain that if she'd heard these cries all the way from Aurora Village, then surely the baby's parents would have done…maybe they were running and had been unable to return to their child?

Gently, Ginger picked up the bundle of cloth, shushing it soothingly as she cradled it to her chest in comfort.

"Shh…it's alright, little one," she soothed. "You're safe…" The baby's crying subsided into choked sobs and Ginger examined it more closely — folding back some of the turquoise cloth, it took every ounce of her self restraint to not drop the baby when she saw its face.

The child was a fox Warmblood, with ears and a snout that resembled Ginger's. There was one crucial difference about this infant, though, and that was that its fur was a shimmering blue-white, with tufts of silver hair poking up between its ears. And somehow, Ginger didn't even need it to open its eyes to know that they would be pale blue.

"I…Impossible…" Ginger choked in astonishment. The baby sneezed as its crying came to a halt and it snuggled further into its bundle of cloth. Darting her gaze around the clearing, Ginger's breath hitched again when she spotted something else — a doll that resembled a very familiar nimbat. Fidget had told her about these dolls briefly and there were only two in existence. One was owned by a child in the underground town of Mudpot. The other was owned by…

"Dust?" Ginger whispered, looking back at the infant now sleeping soundly in her arms. The baby offered no response aside from a high pitched gurgle as it slept. Ginger broke into tears herself and clutched the child as close to her chest as she dared without suffocating it — her crying caused the baby to shift but it did not wake. "I…I can't believe it… I…I found you…" Ginger sobbed.

To say she couldn't believe it was yet another understatement. Her hopes had been realised — Dust _was_ alive. He'd come back…just not in the way she'd been expecting. Here he was…undoubtedly…as a sleeping infant in her arms. His spirit had been given a new life. He had quite literally been reborn.

Choking back her tears so that she could think clearly, Ginger tore off a piece of her skirt to create a makeshift sling, carefully placing the sleeping baby inside before gathering the tattered and seemingly singed nimbat doll from the floor, tucking it inside the sling next to the child. Keeping the baby close, Ginger made her way out of the Glade and began heading east, back towards Aurora Village.

* * *

"Ginger!" Oneida cried as the glow of the Ring of Sight in the distance alerted her to the young lady's return. "Gracious, dear! If I'd known you'd be out for that long I would have insisted that you stayed until morning!"

"Oneida! Shh!" Ginger suddenly hissed. She winced and apologised immediately afterwards. "I'm sorry, Oneida. I got a little sidetracked…" She slipped the Ring of Sight off her finger and gave it back to the farmer who noticed the sling over Ginger's shoulder.

"Heavens, my dear — what on earth did you find out there?" Oneida asked, indicating the bundle. Ginger's face broke into a smile, joyful tears still in her eyes.

"I found this," she said, adjusting the bundle so that Oneida could see inside. The woman gasped when she saw what it was.

"A child?! Alone?" she spluttered.

"Not just any child, Oneida," Ginger explained. "Look closer." Oneida did, angling to Ring of Sight so that it wouldn't wake the baby but so that she could get a better look.

"Well, if my eyes don't deceive me…" she murmured. "That could never be…?"

"I think it is, Oneida," Ginger choked happily. "He's…come back to us."

"Well, I never…" Oneida exhaled in amazement. "But…why like this?" she frowned.

"You know, I think the Life Thread is giving him a chance to have a life of his own," Ginger theorised. "Dust…never really had any memories to call his own. No childhood…no family…no home…" she listed sadly.

"That must have been horrible for him," Oneida noted sympathetically. "What are we to do with him now?"

"I'm going to give him that chance," Ginger said firmly. "I'll give him a chance at a normal life."

"Gracious, my dear!" Oneida exclaimed, a little more quietly this time now that she was aware of the sleeping infant. "Are you even sure that it's him?!"

"I can't help but feel that he is," Ginger insisted. "I…I don't know if I'll ever be certain…or if he'll even remember if he is…"

"And if he doesn't?" Oneida pressed with concern. "What if he isn't the Dust we knew? What if he doesn't remember what he did for us?"

"Then it won't make any difference," Ginger said. "If he doesn't remember, I won't force him to. If he does, and he has questions, then I won't hide anything from him," she added decisively. "But it's him…I can feel it…"

"If you're sure, Ginger, then I won't argue," Oneida smiled. "And that certainly seems fair… I just hope you're ready to take on such a job as motherhood."

"I'll be fine, Oneida," Ginger reassured. "And thank you."

Oneida bid Ginger good night and good luck as the young lady headed back through Aurora Village, explaining her venture that evening to anyone who stopped to ask. They all agreed that this child-Dust would grow up among them, but they wouldn't mention anything unless he specifically asked. That way, Ginger thought, he could grow up normally without having the mantle of Sen-Mithrarin placed on him.

He could have his own memories now.

Tucking a child into bed was something Ginger hadn't pictured herself doing for some time — she was still young, after all, at eighteen — but if it was to give her friend the chance at a life he'd never had, she was willing to do so.

"Dust…" she whispered soothingly as she cradled the child and his nimbat doll close to her. "This time, I'll keep you safe."

She sang a quiet lullaby until both she and her new family drifted off into the peaceful realm of sleep.

 _After so long, I've now gone home_

 _Now that I have reached my journey's end._

 _Don't know how long I will be gone,_

 _But I hope that I'll see you again…my friend._

* * *

 **And so we embark on a new journey, this time to the land of Falana. For those of my readers who may not know, _Dust: An Elysian Tail_ is an indie game developed by Humble Hearts (or rather, one man: Dean Dodrill) which was originally released for the ****Xbox in 2012. It has since been released on Steam, Playstation and iOS, and is easily one of my favourite games. If you haven't played it, then I recommend picking it up or even just watching a Let's Play (which is how I was introduced to the game): if anything, it has some of the best voice acting I've heard in a video game.**

 **This story will be updating on Sundays at 8PM GMT. See you guys around, and I hope you enjoy this story!**


	2. Thirteen Years Later

**Thirteen Years Later**

Ginger stirred as the cockerel crowed to signal the start of a new day. Her fringe fell in front of her face as she sat up and rubbed her eyes as the sunlight streamed through the window. Her hair fell loosely from a plait that had long since replaced her old ponytail, so she sleepily tidied it into a bun as she pushed away the bedcovers and headed across the house to the other bedroom.

"Dust?" she called with a yawn. "Rise and shine, sweetheart," she added, opening the door and glancing at the bed. She stopped in her tracks when she saw that it was empty, covers and strewn messily across the floor. "Dust?" she repeated, suddenly awake. Now worried, Ginger raced around the room, opening cupboards and boxes to look for the missing boy. Not finding him in the room, she raced down stairs.

"Dust!" Ginger shouted, in her worry not noticing a snickering blue-white fox hiding in the rafters just above the stairs until…

"BOO!"

"EEK!" Ginger screeched, reeling backwards as something suddenly dropped to the ground in front of her. Her scream was immediately followed by a peel of boyish laughter as Dust clutched his sides.

"Haha! I scared you, didn't I, Mom?" he laughed. Ginger caught her breath and clutched a hand over her heart to make sure it was still working. Good grief, her son was a handful…

"You most certainly did…" she replied, unable to stop an exasperated smile spreading across her face as she dusted her son's jacket down to calm her own nerves. "Can't you pick something quieter to be?" she quizzed, fiddling with Dust's hair in a motherly fashion before he batted her hands away.

"Aw, c'mon, Mom. That's no fun!"" Dust chuckled as his mother headed for the kitchen. "Wanna see me be a nimbat?" he grinned before doing his impression of said creature, which was pretending to bite someone's face off. Ginger let out a chuckle of her own — the boy was now a teenager and certainly behaving the part, although she knew that he was still as kindhearted as any mother could hope a son to be. She really could do without the pranks that gave her heart attacks on a regular basis, though…

"Why don't you make yourself useful and get your morning chores done early today?" she suggested, handing Dust a basket as well as the usual To Do list. "Bean needs the medicine I finished yesterday and I want you to check in on Geehan and Oneida as well. And, for Elysium's sake, tell Reed to drop by if you see him… _without_ that dratted box."

"Sure thing, Mom," Dust nodded, taking the basket dutifully and double checking the list. "You want me to check if the shop's open yet?"

"Might as well whilst you're out," Ginger nodded. "Now get going, Scamp. I'll have breakfast done by the time you get back."

"Okay — see you in a bit, Mom!" Dust shouted over his shoulder as he left the house, at which point Ginger ran to the window and flung it open just in time to see her son head off towards Geehan and Oneida's farm.

"And say hi to Kalyn for me!" she called.

"Will do, Mom!"

With his arm hooked through the basket's handle, Dust made his way through Aurora Village with the morning sun rising over Archer's Pass and Abadis Forest to the east. In the west lay the forest known only as the Glade — Dust had been there once with his mother a few years ago, when she'd told him how he'd come to be her family.

It was no secret in Aurora that Dust was not Ginger's biological son, that he had been found by her as an infant in the Glade, but that didn't make any difference to anyone. Dust didn't know his birth mother, but with a mother like Ginger he'd never felt the need to. She'd taken care of him as well as anyone else could have done, and Dust constantly counted his lucky stars for having her as his family. She never hid anything from him if he asked, and he never wanted for anything.

To say Dust was a lucky kid would be the truest statement of the year, and he knew it.

Weaving through the various villagers doing their own early morning chores with the basket tucked closely to himself, Dust ducked under a group of workmen who were helping out with the new watchtowers around Aurora before stopping to double check his bearings. He was now at the top of the hill in the centre of the village and just down it was the house he sometimes called a second home. Outside was a person he'd known since…well, forever.

"Hey! Kalyn!"

As Dust ran down the hill, a young rabbit Warmblood with purple fur and crimson eyes looked up from beating a rug outside the front door of her home. Kalyn was Moska and Sarahi's eldest child and was merely a few weeks younger than Dust, making her the only other child his age in the village (a lot of the younger Moonbloods were either very young or a few years older). The two had been the best of friends since childhood due to Ginger supplying Sarahi with whatever medication she needed to make it through her subsequent three other pregnancies, as well as Kalyn being the one to patch up Dust's clothes whenever his ventures meant that they had more holes in them than usual.

Glancing up from beating the rug, Kalyn's eyes lit up at the sight of Dust running towards her.

"Dust!" she greeted. "You're early."

"Beat the cockerel to sunrise this morning," Dust grinned. "Mom asked me to drop some medicine off for Bean and check in with Geehan and Oneida. How's your mom and little Ivan doing?"

"They're doing great!" Kalyn replied with a warm smile. "Your mother's a real miracle worker, Dust."

"She sure is good at what she does," Dust agreed with a hint of pride in his voice.

"She's not just 'good' — she's incredible!" Kalyn protested. "Her medicine really saved Dexter and Mindy from that measles outbreak last year."

"Mom hates seeing people suffer," Dust sighed. "If I get so much as a sniffle she's there three nanoseconds later with the herbal tea."

"No wonder you're the healthiest kid in Aurora," Kalyn giggled. Dust grumbled something in protest but he was used to this kind of teasing from his best friend. "You sure you're not going to carry on the business?"

"You know I'm useless as a physician!" Dust protested. "Besides, Mom's taken on Tristan as an apprentice — he's way better at it than I am." Tristan was one of the older Moonbloods — one of the lucky child survivors of the war fifteen years ago. As Dust said, he was now training in medicine with Ginger as his tutor.

"Yeah, and I guess you've got your Guard Training," Kalyn remembered. "Oh, speaking of, Corbin passed by just before you came. Asked me to remind you that you've got a session with him this morning." Dust nodded — he liked to think that he had a fairly retentive memory and he'd never missed a training session before. He wasn't planning to start missing them now.

"I'll track him down before I head home for breakfast," he decided. "You doing anything later?" Kalyn narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"You're not planning on pranking Mr Gianni again, are you?" she asked.

"Hey, I haven't pranked him in a month," Dust pouted. "And in my defence, he earned the poison ivy…and that was also Mom's idea…"

"Sure, Dust," Kalyn sighed. "Sure." Dust once again grumbled something that Kalyn didn't quite hear so she let it slide. "Well, I'm helping Mordecai in the shop after breakfast and I won't be off duty until after lunch…"

Dust winced — of course, Kalyn was working in the shop as Mordecai's accountant. She was good with numbers.

"How about we head for the usual spot once you get off?" he suggested. "I should be done helping Mom out with the chores by then and Corbin can't keep me that long. I'll bring a picnic — my treat."

"Sure! That sounds great!" Kalyn smiled in agreement. "I'll meet you at the shop."

"Great," Dust grinned. "I'd better head over to Bean's and drop his medicine off — I'll see you later, Kalyn!"

"See you, Dust!"

Waving goodbye, Dust continued his walk through the village, once more weaving in and out of the crowds of Warmbloods and Moonbloods alike as he made his way to Bean's house. On his way, he spotted Calum keeping an eye on the weekly group of tourists, some from as far away as the capital of Falana, Falun, and so waved a cheery 'Good Morning' as he passed by.

Dropping the medicine off at Bean's took all of five minutes, with the old now-retired guard wishing Dust well and asking him to pass his well-wishes to Ginger as well. As he headed back through the village towards the shop in order to pick up the few things on his mother's list, Dust couldn't help but stop in the centre of town.

There, in the village square, gleaming proudly in the early morning sunshine, was the statue of Falana's greatest hero: Sen-Mithrarin. The statue had been erected a year before Ginger had found him in the Glade to the west, but even fourteen years later it still shone like a new ornament thanks to all the care and protection from the elements that the villagers had given it.

While he'd never known the great hero, Dust couldn't help but admire him. His favourite bedtime stories when he'd been small had been those of the fox Warmblood arriving in Aurora accompanied by a nimbat. He'd seemingly come from nowhere with no ties to anyone and yet he did not hesitate to help them with their troubles.

This hero had protected the people from monsters before putting an end to the source of the war. It turned out that he had been summoned from the Life Thread by the Moonbloods, then under threat of extinction due to campaigns led by General Gaius, and in the end he defeated the general and ended the war, even though it came at the cost of his own life.

Ginger had told Dust that she'd been close friends with Sen-Mithrarin, which was the reason she had named him after the great hero, whose name in the ancient Moonblood language meant 'He who is Born from the Dust'. She'd told him on numerous occasions that she did not expect him to perform such heroic feats himself — it was enough for her that he grew up kind and compassionate. So Dust never felt like he had massive shoes to fill — he simply led his life the way he wanted to, living happily in the town that had accepted him into its arms without a second thought.

That, for him, was more than enough.

* * *

"Mom, I'm home!" Dust called as he walked through the door half an hour later. Ginger looked up from the table where she'd just set a bowl of steaming porridge and a pitcher of milk, and smiled when she saw her son with now full basket of groceries.

"Perfect timing, Dust," she greeted. "Set the shopping in the kitchen, sweetheart. I'll sort that out after breakfast." Dust did so before pulling himself up a chair.

"Reed said he'd drop by this afternoon around lunch, still doesn't like leaving that stupid box unattended," he said. Ginger groaned and almost stabbed a spoon into the table. Don't ask how. "Oh, I bumped into Corbin on the way home," Dust added. "I said I'd meet up with him for today's training session after breakfast."

"Of course," Ginger nodded. "That's perfectly fine, as long as you're back to clean your room before lunch."

"Aww, but…!"

"No buts, young man!" Ginger interrupted as Dust began to protest. "That prank of yours this morning cost you a no-chores lunch." Dust pouted. Well, his mother's face had been worth it. "Now eat up. Corbin won't want a hungry student on his hands." Dust's pout vanished as he let out a quiet chuckle before helping himself to porridge, as well as a generous spoonful of honey to go with it.

"Say, Mom…" he said softly after swallowing a mouthful of porridge. Ginger hummed back in response. "Tell me about your friend again. The one we've got a statue of in the town square." Ginger paused in helping herself to breakfast.

"You mean Sen-Mithrarin?" she remembered. Dust nodded. "I don't know what else there is to tell you, sweetheart. I've told you his story more times than I can count."

"But…where did he come from?" Dust asked. "The way you and everyone else tells it makes it sounds like he just showed up outta nowhere." Ginger paused and looked carefully at her son's face… She remembered those eyes so well…

"Well, he… He came to Aurora from the west," she explained. "That's when we first met him."

"But there's nothing west from here apart from the Glade and the abandoned house," Dust pointed out.

"He really was a mystery to everyone," Ginger admitted. "As you said…he did seem to…come out of nowhere."

"Did you ever find out where he came from?" Dust asked. Ginger took a deep breath — _okay, no hiding anything. You promised yourself this._

"Eventually," she admitted. "You know what 'Sen-Mithrarin' means, don't you?"

"'He who is Born from the Dust', right?"

"Exactly," Ginger nodded. "Well, in Moonblood legend, it is the name given to the warrior destined to save the world in its hour of greatest need. A warrior whose power and strength were… Huh?" she blinked, sitting upright as a tap sounded on the door. She frowned and stood up to go answer it.

"You expecting anyone?" Dust asked.

"No, not at…" Ginger began before opening the door, revealing a familiar face — scaled and framed with thinning white hair. "Elder Grey-Eyes!" Ginger greeted. Dust perked up a little and leaned backwards so that he could see the Moonblood Elder. "This is an unexpected surprise."

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything, Ginger," Grey-Eyes smiled gently. He leaned around Ginger slightly to greet the young Warmblood still sitting at the table. "Good morning, Dust!"

"Morning, Elder Grey-Eyes!" Dust greeted back. Ginger smiled and invited the Elder inside, offering to get him a cup of tea if he so desired — he gladly accepted. "You visiting Aurora, Elder?" Dust asked.

"Indeed I am, young man," Grey-Eyes replied. "I have a few matters I need to discuss with Old Bram later today. I thought I'd drop by to see how you two were doing."

"The boy is as mischievous as a puppy in a hay bale," Ginger grumbled playfully as she poured the tea. Dust made a face at his mother behind her back. "You haven't missed much."

"I take it you pulled another one of your stunts on your poor mother, Dust?" Grey-Eyes guessed, raising an eyebrow at the boy who was starting to finish off his breakfast.

"Maybe…" came the reply from the boy, whose silver-blue eyes twinkled gleefully, leaving Elder Grey-Eyes in a fit of light but hearty chuckles.

"I hope you still have an outlet for that energy," the Elder continued.

"Oh, yes!" Dust nodded eagerly. "I've got training with Corbin soon — I said I'd meet him after breakfast."

"Well, I won't keep you, then," Grey-Eyes noted as Ginger handed him a cup of tea. "Although if it's all the same to you, Ginger, I would like a word or two with you once this boy's gone."

"Of course, not at all," Ginger nodded as Dust polished off his bowl.

"Right, I'm off!" Dust called, grabbing his training gear from beside the door and heading back out into Aurora. Once the door closed, Elder Grey-Eyes turned back to Ginger who was now seated at the table once again with her own drink in hand.

"He's grown a lot since I last saw him," the Moonblood Elder remarked. Ginger smiled softly.

"I can't seem to stop him," she laughed quietly. "I turn my eyes away for two seconds and he's shot up another three inches." Grey-Eyes chuckled at the statement.

"He's growing into a fine young man," he said. "You should be proud of him, Ginger. And of yourself — you've raised him exceptionally well."

"Well, thank you, Elder," Ginger replied.

"I wanted to ask, without troubling Dust himself of course…" Grey-Eyes began. "But…has he remembered anything at all?" Ginger paused and set her tea down before sighing.

"If he has, he's never told me," she replied. "And he's never given any indication that he has either. So either he's a very good liar and actor or he still doesn't recall his deeds from before."

"Well, if the way you've raised him is anything to go by then Dust is the last person in this world that I would call a liar," Grey-Eyes commented.

"You're right," Ginger agreed. "My son is a jokester, but he would never lie to me." She looked up at the Moonblood again. "Why bring this up?"

"There is something troubling me, Ginger," Grey-Eyes explained, the mood suddenly turning sombre. "We see many things in the Blackmoor Mountains…and the army is on the move. Things have never truly settled to the north of the mountains, even in the last decade, but for the last week in particular, tensions have been rising." Ginger frowned — there had been a new Moonblood settlement raised in the Blackmoor Mountains, not far from where Zeplich Village used to stand. It provided a view of most of Falana when the weather was clear and was a good lookout point — but why would the army be moving?

"And what does that have to do with Dust and his past?" she asked, a little shorter than she perhaps meant but she didn't like where she thought this was going.

"I am worried about Dust," Grey-Eyes continued. "Sereth and other Moonblood merchants have heard that there are those from the capital seeking out a white fox Warmblood… Old allies of General Gaius looking for his alleged killer."

"That's ridiculous," Ginger half-snapped. "As far as everyone outside of this town and you are concerned, Sen-Mithrarin _died_ in the Everdawn Basin alongside General Gaius. And why would they be looking for him now of all times, let alone at all?"

"I hate to imagine," Elder Grey-Eyes frowned. "But who knows who the tourists who come here truly are." Ginger's breath hitched — so Dust could have been seen by anyone during his rounds through the village… "I do not yet know what the army wants," the Moonblood continued. "Nor if these rumours from the merchants hold any truth, but there is something that has been troubling me."

"What is it?" Ginger asked, feeling that there was more to this than just Dust's wellbeing.

"I have lived a long time, Ginger, and I have some small connection with the Life Thread," Grey-Eyes explained. "Something is tugging at it, as if trying to break it… I am by no means as in tune with the Life Thread as deities like Lady Tethys are, but such occurrences still trouble me."

"Again, what does this have to do with Dust?" Ginger pressed.

"It may be nothing," Elder Grey-Eyes said. "But regardless, no matter what he may or may not remember, Dust remains Sen-Mithrarin. His fate is tied to that of this land. You may not be able to protect him forever."

"Dust is my son!" Ginger snapped, the fur on the back of her neck rising and her tail bushing up, swishing angrily. "The Life Thread let him be born anew and I, for one, will not enforce his old life upon him! After everything he did for you…for us all…he deserves to live a life without conflict!"

"You are his mother, and I can see you love him deeply," Elder Grey-Eyes noted calmly. "I will not force Dust to do anything. I give you my word on that."

"Good," Ginger said shortly.

"But Fate may be unavoidable, Ginger," the Elder continued. "Should Dust have to answer the call of destiny, there will be little to nothing you can do about it."

"Then so be it," Ginger replied, still with a snappish tone. "If he does remember who he was…who he is…I won't stop him. And I won't hide anything from him if he asks."

"As you have told me before," Grey-Eyes sighed. "But we have discussed this. There are some things you mustn't tell him out loud, and you should be careful about telling him too much should the time come, Ginger…"

"And how much is 'too much'?" Ginger asked snappishly. "It was because Dust was told _nothing_ last time that he felt so lost and confused. He _hated_ not having answers from anyone, Elder, and I don't blame him for ever becoming frustrated."

"Ginger…" Grey-Eyes began but Ginger finished the rest of her tea before slamming her cup on the table.

"No, Elder," she said firmly. "I will not withhold _anything_ from him if he asks." _In fact, I was in the middle of telling him something before you arrived…so, yes. You were interrupting something._

"Very well, Ginger," Elder Grey-Eyes sighed, finishing his own tea calmly. "I shan't overstay my welcome anymore. Old Bram will doubtless be waiting for me." He stood up, as did Ginger out of courtesy. "Thank you for the tea, and give my best to your son."

Ginger saw him out of the house before glancing towards the direction of the town square where Dust would no doubt be in the middle of his lesson with Corbin by now. Elder Grey-Eyes' news troubled her greatly. Why would the army be on the move now when the war ended fifteen years ago? And what was happening with the Life Thread to cause the Moonblood Elder so much worry?

All Ginger had ever wanted for Dust was a normal life, but now she was starting to think that even that must have been too much to ask for when it came to the being known as Sen-Mithrarin.

* * *

 **Enjoy the peace and quiet while you can, everybody. This story is _not_ going to be all cupcakes and Wall Chicken.**


	3. Run!

**Quick note before the chapter begins: the cover art for this story was drawn by me. You can find a larger image of it on my deviantART profile.**

* * *

 **Run!**

By the time the morning was reaching its later hours, a crowd had gathered around a sparring Corbin and Dust in the town square. The duels between the two were always a form of entertainment in themselves — despite his young age, Dust was already proving to be a competent fighter and Corbin himself was no slouch — he'd taught the young Warmblood well and although he still had an edge over the teenager with his age and experience, the two were nonetheless close in skill.

"Come on, Dust!" Corbin shouted encouragingly as he parried another blow from his pupil. "Keep at it!" Dust smirked and feinted a few times as his teacher made a few jabs of his own.

"Here I come!" Dust yelled back as he landed a few blows with his wooden training sword before cartwheeling around Corbin to land a strike in the back. Corbin stumbled, earning a few gasps of suspense from the crowd as they watched the spectacle. The pair continued back and forth for a few more minutes until finally Corbin disarmed Dust and floored him, keeping him trapped on the ground under his foot.

"How'd I do that time?" Dust panted, a small smile creeping onto his face. Corbin smirked proudly back and lifted his foot, holding a hand out.

"Ten minutes — new record," the guard said, helping Dust back to his feet. "You're getting better by the day, Dust."

"What can I say? I've got a good teacher," Dust pointed out. Corbin laughed as the crowd dispersed and they went to take a drink of water by the statue of Sen-Mithrarin.

"Well, I've got a role model to live up to," Corbin shrugged, indicating the statue. Dust glanced up at it again as he opened his flask. Corbin had said that Sen-Mithrarin had helped him out as a boy before — since then, Corbin had strived to become as strong and fearless as his hero. Dust could see how dedicated his teacher was to achieving this.

"Doesn't everybody want to follow his example?" he noted.

"Probably," Corbin admitted. "Though I've yet to hit the one thousand hit combo that he was able to do."

"A _one thousand_ hit combo?" Dust spluttered in disbelief. "Seriously?"

"Told you he was good," Corbin chuckled. He paused for a moment, looking thoughtfully at the young boy recovering his energy next to him. "Who knows? Maybe someday you'll be as good as him," he smiled, almost with a nostalgic tone to his voice.

"You think I could be that strong?" Dust said.

"Anything's possible provided you put your mind to it," Corbin replied, patting the boy's head affectionately. "Alright, that's enough for today," he decided. "Pick things up this weekend?" he suggested.

"Sure, no problem, Corbin," Dust grinned, dusting himself off and packing his stuff up. "I'll see you then."

Waving a last goodbye to his teacher for the day, Dust headed back home — announcing his presence again as he walked through the door, he noticed the absence of a certain Moonblood.

"Elder Grey-Eyes already left for Old Bram's?" he asked as Ginger came in from the garden with a basket of herbs under her arm.

"He left not long after you headed out," she explained. "How was training?"

"Managed to last ten minutes in a duel with Corbin this time," Dust grinned proudly. "He reckons one day I might be as good as Sen-Mithrarin." The briefest of pauses and the sound of Ginger dropping the basket onto the table did not go unnoticed.

"Did he, now?" Ginger said, her voice cheery without being forced. "You must be getting pretty good then, if that's the case." Dust shrugged off the basket-drop as a reaction of surprise to the comment.

"Did he _really_ manage to get a one-thousand hit combo?" he asked. Ginger laughed.

"Oh, heavens if I know," she replied. "Knowing how good he was, I wouldn't have put it past him." Dust lay his gear down in its usual spot by the front door and walked over to the table, leaning on his elbows as he watched his mother beginning to prepare herbs for her next medicinal brew.

"So…whatcha need doing this afternoon?" he asked, remembering that he had chores to do before he got lunch and preferably he wanted to get those done as quickly as possible — he had a picnic to prepare after all.

"Upstairs needs cleaning and the laundry needs doing," his mother responded without hesitation. "Also, the feverfew needs trimming and the sage needs watering." Dust nodded and went to grab the brush from under the stairs. "Mop, Scamp!"

Dust refrained from cussing out loud.

* * *

Dust had admittedly tried to get his chores done in record time but given that his prank had given his mother a bigger heart attack than usual, she'd been particularly fussy about the quality of his work and had refused to let him out of the house until not a speck of dust remained in the upstairs rooms and the feverfew had been trimmed back to the point where each stem was the same length. As such, he'd pretty much rushed a Louta Nut and a handful of Feeble Fruits before packing a picnic (with Ginger's help). No doubt practically everyone else in the village bar Kalyn would have had a proper lunch…

Ignoring his growling stomach, louder than normal due to the smell of food coming from the basket tucked under his arm, Dust made his way to Mordecai's shop as fast as he could without dropping anything. Much to his embarrassment, Kalyn was already standing outside waiting.

"What took you so long?" she asked playfully.

"Mom was being picky," Dust excused. "I hope you're hungry." There came a loud rumble which caused Dust to wince.

"Well, I can tell _someone_ definitely is," Kalyn snickered. "Come on, let's get going before you pass out." Dust smirked.

"Okay, if you're so worried about my physical wellbeing, why don't you take the basket the rest of the way?" he snickered.

His quip earned him nothing more than a sharp slap to the shoulder and Kalyn making a joke about he had no idea on how to act like a gentleman.

Not long after, the two friends were sitting at their favourite spot at the top of the cliff overlooking Aurora, as well as the rest of the valley. The spot provided a beautiful view of nearly all of Falana, ending at the Blackmoor Mountain range and the Everdawn Volcanoes all the way to the north. As the two teens tucked into the kim-baps and cupcakes Ginger had helped Dust prepare, they also sat in silence for a while, simply taking in the view as they always did.

"You know, I'm never going to get tired of this view," Dust said after finishing a kim-bap. Kalyn smiled next to him after taking a sip of water from her flask.

"I'm with you there, Dust," she agreed. "It's never the same twice up here… It's beautiful."

"Makes you wonder what all these places look like up close," Dust said thoughtfully. "I've really got to get round to asking Mom if we can go visit other places around Falana at some point."

"You've never been outside Aurora?" Kalyn blinked in surprise.

"Well, there was that one time Gianni sent me to Ivydale Glen to do his laundry," Dust winced. "Mom had a few words with him after that."

"Don't blame her — the guy's a jerk," Kalyn remarked dryly. _So don't get short with me when I plan to prank him!_ "But aside from that?"

"Mom's taken me to Abadis Forest a couple of times," Dust admitted. "But never been to Denham — Mom's been there a few times on deliveries but I've always been left taking care of things back home while Tristan does all the medicine stuff."

"We've been to Denham a couple of times, just to see how things are doing," Kalyn explained. "Mom doesn't like going back too often, though. Bad memories and all." Dust nodded sympathetically. It was well known throughout Aurora that Sarahi came from Denham, which was destroyed by an insane Moonblood fifteen years ago. Sarahi had been the only survivor of the massacre, which made her relate to Ginger on a personal level as Ginger was the sole survivor of the destruction of her own home village the year before Denham was destroyed.

"How is it holding up, anyhow?" Dust asked.

"They're doing well there, actually," Kalyn replied. "The Moonbloods there have really helped to get it back on its feet."

"Yep," Dust nodded decisively. "Need to get Mom to take me there at some point." Kalyn smiled and took a bite of a cupcake before a thoughtful glaze crossed her face.

"Say, Dust…" she began. Dust hummed in response before swallowing his food. "Do…do you ever wonder where you came from?"

"Where'd that come from?" Dust frowned.

"It's just that…" Kalyn winced. "…I was just wondering if you ever thought about it."

"What? Just because I'm adopted?" Dust asked.

"I don't mean it in that way, Dust!" Kalyn protested. "I'm just curious, that's all." Dust sighed and thought for a moment.

"To be honest — no," he replied. "No, I don't think about it." Kalyn asked why. "Why would I? It's not like it bothers me that Ginger's not my real mom. No one knows where I came from anyway. Mom found me in the Glade as a baby, remember?"

"But if you had the chance to find out where you came from, would you take it?" Kalyn asked.

"I don't know," Dust shrugged. "Like I said. It's never bothered me. Besides…" he paused with a happy grin spreading across his face. "…I couldn't ask for a better mom.' Kalyn smiled.

"Yeah…you're right," she nodded. "And Ginger sees you as her son regardless. You really are lucky." She took a bite of the bun she was holding, squeaking in surprise when curry spurted out, narrowly avoiding her dress. "Eek! Especially when she makes curry buns like these," she giggled.

"She did _not_ tell me about those!" Dust cried excitedly, digging the other curry bun out of the basket and tucking in gleefully. Kalyn's giggle turned into full out laughter at her best friend's glee — every child loves his mother's cooking, but she had yet to see a light in someone's eyes that matched Dust's whenever Ginger made her trademark curry.

"You might as well take the rest of the day off," Kalyn laughed, struggling to breath through her smile. "Your day's been made."

"You bet it has!" Dust grinned, wiping curry sauce from his nose (he knew Ginger would scold him for the stains on his arm wraps but he could replace those easily and use his current ones for scrap). "She's the best…" A comfortable silence fell between the two friends once more as they looked towards Aurora. Kalyn's smile softened as she spotted the glint of the midday sun off the Sen-Mithrarin statue.

"I guess all of Sen-Mithrarin's work really paid off," she remarked.

"You're full of weird thoughts today, Kalyn," Dust noted sarcastically. "You want Mom to check that up for you?" That earned him another smack.

"I'm just saying, this peace…it's all thanks to him," Kalyn pointed out. "Without him, Mom and Dad may never have gotten together after what happened to Denham."

"Yeah, and the Moonbloods might as well be extinct," Dust agreed with a sad sigh. "Can't imagine what it must have been like to know him."

"Dad's always singing his praises," Kalyn giggled. "Still has his autograph."

"Moska got Sen-Mithrarin's _autograph_?" Dust spluttered. Kalyn nodded in confirmation, explaining that he received it after they found Sarahi in the Hidden Cove east of Abadis Forest. "Man…that guy really _was_ popular."

"Can you blame people for liking him?" Kalyn giggled. "He only went and saved an entire race of people and the whole kingdom while he was at it." Dust laughed and shrugged — true. That would put someone in a lot of people's good books for sure. Though something niggled him slightly.

"Can't imagine he would have been popular with the people on the other side in the war," he muttered. "That General Gaius guy…he couldn't have been fond of him."

"Can't imagine that he was," Kalyn agreed. "The grownups and the Moonbloods never speak about him."

"Don't blame them," Dust said, taking another bite of his curry bun and finishing it off with a few quick mouthfuls. "If Gaius was the one who gave them so much grief, why would they talk about him?"

"You're right," Kalyn smiled. After all, she knew how much her mother hated talking about what happened to Denham and the insane Moonblood behind the attack. If people didn't want to bring up bad memories that were the cause of some other person's actions, she wouldn't force them to talk about it. "Come on — finish up. We should be heading back."

"You got another shift in the shop?" Dust asked, brushing the crumbs off his lap.

"Just a short one," Kalyn replied. "I've got to help Mom look after Ivan and Mindy." When asked what her other brother, Dexter, was doing, Kalyn responded with: "Helping out at Geehan's farm. At least, he's supposed to be. He's probably loafing off again, knowing him." Dust nodded in understanding — no doubt his mother would want him to do a few more chores while she worked on something with Tristan. A bugle call broke through the tranquility of the afternoon, scattering the birdsong and almost putting a halt to the sound of the wind in the trees.

"What was that?" Dust frowned.

"That sounded like a military signal," Kalyn gasped, her eyes widening fearfully. Squinting down the cliffside, Dust's brow furrowed as he spotted something moving. Squinting further, he could see the colours that everyone in the kingdom of Falana recognised as the colours of the Royal Guard.

"What's the army doing all the way out here?" he wondered aloud when he relayed this to Kalyn. "Come on — let's hurry back."

With the picnic now packed up and the basket tucked under arm, the pair quickly scaled the cliff down to the valley floor and began running through the forest back towards Aurora Village. All the way, Dust couldn't help but feel an ever increasing sense of dread, like he was running straight into danger. This wasn't helped when cries of shock were heard through the trees. Running past the long abandoned and overgrown shack that lay west of the village, Dust and Kalyn skid to a stop just before the trees parted when they spotted Geehan's farm just outside the forest.

"Those are definitely Royal Soldiers there," Dust muttered.

"What do they want with the farm?" Kalyn murmured as the farm owners and their workers were led back towards the village. Dust noticed that the Moonblood farmhands were nowhere to be seen. Kalyn made to go after them but Dust held her back, waiting until all of the soldiers were out of sight before moving forward.

"Let's get a closer look," he whispered.

The pair reached the farm and ducked behind the wall just by the village entrance. The place was packed to the brim of soldiers from Royal Guard, and the fact that many were carrying spears and a myriad of other weapons told Dust that these guys weren't just passing through.

"What're these guys doing here?" he muttered.

"I don't see any of the Moonbloods," Kalyn noticed. Dust saw what she meant — none of the reptilian Moonbloods were around. "Surely they can't be…"

"Don't be ridiculous," Dust contradicted. "The war ended fifteen years ago." Why would the Royal Guard be hunting down Moonbloods now? The campaigns against them were long over and it was pretty much established, at least south of the Blackmoor Mountains and Everdawn Basin, that Moonbloods and Warmbloods now lived together peacefully.

The guards moved towards the centre of town, bringing the villagers with them. Dust and Kalyn shared a glance and nodded, moving forward after them and making sure to stay out of sight. They'd left the picnic basket at the entrance of town — they could easily pick it up later and for now it was just hindering their movements.

The situation was identical in the centre of town — the villagers were all outside their houses, with no Moonbloods in sight, being interrogated about things that Dust and Kalyn couldn't quite hear.

"Kalyn, go hide," Dust hissed. "I'll get a closer look."

"But, Dust…!" Kalyn whispered but Dust still insisted she got a better hiding place so she complied whilst her friend hid behind the nearest pile of crates he could see to get a better look as well as eavesdrop on some of the things the Royal Guard were saying. What he heard confused and horrified him.

"Answer me truthfully! Are there Moonbloods living in this village or not?!"

"The war ended! Why are you…?"

"Answer the question!"

So they _were_ looking for Moonbloods. What did that mean for the Moonblood guards of the village? Where were they? It was taking all of Dust's self restraint to not cry out in defiance and reveal his hiding spot…

…but his breath hitched when he saw his mother being led out of her house.

Ginger's face was calm and stony, a stoic expression plastered unflinching on her face. She ignored all attempts from the soldiers to roughly handle her and instead walked calmly up to a soldier with a blue and golden plume in his helmet — the Captain of the Guard.

"Might I ask what all of this is about, Captain?" she asked calmly. The Captain seemed taken aback at her collected nature but nonetheless retained his air of authority.

"We've had reports of Moonblood sightings in this area," he replied. "We're merely here to confirm those reports."

"By treating the villagers in such a manner?" Ginger pointed out sternly. "With all due respect, Captain, I would appreciate it if you and your men didn't add to my already busy workload."

"You're this village's physician?" the Captain deduced, which Ginger confirmed. "My apologies, Ma'am. I've only ordered my men to gather information."

"Well, I hope you've found it," Ginger said. "Have you seen any Moonbloods in your travels through this area?" she asked calmly. "I assume this is your last stop. There's nothing west of this village."

"Our scouts reported that this village has Moonbloods as part of its guard," the Captain replied firmly, his voice growing darker. Dust bit his tongue to stop himself from crying out but he could see the fear flash through his mother's eyes.

" _Don't, Mom…_ " he pleaded under his breath. He knew that his mother was, always had been and always will be a Moonblood sympathiser, as was practically the entire village at this point. It was kind of hard to _not_ be one when you lived alongside them twenty-four-seven. But he knew how much her views, in this kind of situation, would put her in danger. " _Don't try to act the hero…_ "

"And what of it?" Ginger asked boldly. Dust didn't know whether to cuss or to give into the pride swelling through his chest — his mother truly was an admirable woman in the way she stood up for her beliefs. But she'd lost everyone she loved thanks to those same beliefs… "The campaigns against the Moonbloods ended fifteen years ago. Or has the news not reached the capital yet?"

"Mind how you speak, Ma'am!" the Captain growled. It was becoming harder for Dust to hold his tongue and he carefully poked his head out from behind the crates. In doing so, he made eye contact with his mother — fear flashed through her eyes again but she did her best to hide it. "I am acting under the orders of my King and you, and the rest of this village, _will_ answer us truthfully. _Are there Moonbloods residing here_?"

"So King Julius has failed to see the peace we now enjoy?" Ginger spat. "What have the Moonbloods ever done to incur his wrath?!"

There came a few cries of agreement but it resulted in multiple blows from the soldiers and grunts of pain which made Dust's heart wrench. Ginger was also visibly becoming increasingly distressed, losing her calm and collected nature quickly as the Captain towered over her.

"It matters not to you!" he bellowed, striking her across the face and sending her flying. There came cries of outrage from the villagers which masked Dust's own angered shout. "I suggest you watch your words and tell us what we're after."

"Can you _see_ any Moonbloods here?" Ginger hissed from the ground, her sternness fizzling but her defiance nonetheless strong.

"We saw the guards for ourselves, Ma'am," the Captain snarled, towering over Ginger's fallen form. "So I know that this village is hiding something…more than just the enemies of the King." Ginger's breath hitched. "We have sources…reporting sightings of a creature that shouldn't even exist."

"What creature…?" Ginger growled back before grunting as the Captain lifted her back up by her scarf, her feet dangling a few inches above the ground. Dust felt his anger and fear rise even further.

"A Warmblood…a white fox," the Captain murmured, barely loud enough for Dust to hear. Dust froze — that matched _his_ description. As far as he…and anyone else…knew, he was the only white fox Warmblood in Falana. What did the Captain mean by him being a 'creature that shouldn't exist'?

"A white…fox…?" Ginger repeated in a weak attempt to delay the inevitable. The Captain shook her as cries of protest from the other villagers went unheard.

"Answer me, or watch your village burn…!" he began until Dust could no longer contain himself.

"MOM!" he yelled Everyone's gazes turned in the direction of the crates that the blue-white fox-Warmblood was hiding behind and his eyes instantly went wide. Dust knew he was now seriously stuffed.

"DUST! RUN!" Ginger screeched.

Dust didn't need telling twice.

* * *

 **And now's the time where the Slime starts to hit the Dust Storm.**

 **I'm going to be describing Dust as a white or blue-white fox throughout this story, mostly because that's the closest description I can get for his colour palette from official art – to me, it looks closer to white than simple pale blue. That is my reasoning for this description, and I know that it is up for interpretation, but for this story I will be describing Dust as white or blue-white. Also, slight addition to the updating schedule for this thing: _Reborn from Ashes_ will now be updating on both Sundays _and_ Wednesdays. As I mentioned in my profile, I have the story completely written (as if my modus operandi for publishing my stories on this site for the most part) so I should be able to keep a regular uploading schedule.**

 **Feel free to leave a review on this story – I love hearing your opinions (no flames please, they really don't help) – and I'll see you guys on Sunday with the next update!**


	4. Reunion

**Reunion:**

Dust didn't even look in Kalyn's direction as he ran past where he knew she was hiding, but given that the Captain of the Guard had ordered his men to pursue him as soon as he'd run that was probably for the best. He couldn't risk putting his best friend's life in danger, not when the village was in enough turmoil as it was.

"STOP HIM!" a roar came from behind him. Dust didn't dare looking back and kept moving west towards where he and Kalyn had just been having their picnic. "DON'T LET HIM GET AWAY!"

A few grunts and cries told Dust that there were those trying to stop the chase, but the attempts were in vain as an arrow spun past Dust's shoulder and a spear sailed over his head, forcing him to quickly redirect his path around it. Dust knew that his lack of armour gave him a speed advantage, but he didn't know how long that would last — he needed the strength to climb the valley. As he ran, Dust also couldn't stop the questions racing through his mind at equal speed.

Why was the Royal Guard hunting Moonbloods?

Why were they also after him?

Why were they looking for a white fox-Warmblood?

 _Why shouldn't he even exist?_

Dust had barely scaled the valley as he kept running west, not knowing why because there was nothing there apart from the Glade (and how safe would _that_ place be?), when he finally glanced over his shoulder to see if he was still being chased. Sure enough, there was practically an entire battalion on his tail…almost literally. The move proved a mistake as Dust stumbled over his own feet, not looking where he was going. Cursing himself, Dust made for the trees. If he could hide, he may be able to wait things out…

"AH!" Dust cried as a knife nicked his arm. Distracted by the stinging pain that shot through him, Dust stumbled again and this time tripped over a tree root as a nearby herd of deer scattered in the commotion. Soldiers surrounded him, blocking off his escape routes as he scrambled backwards with his eyes flashing in terror.

"Out of the way!" a order barked. The soldiers parted to reveal the Captain of the Guard, standing over the teenager in the same imposing way he'd stood over the injured Ginger back in Aurora. Dust could do nothing except stare at the man in sheer terror as he unsheathed a sabre and pointed it at his throat. "What is your name, boy?"

"D…D…Dust…" Dust stammered, knowing it probably wasn't the best idea but his mother had already shouted it back at the village when she told him to run. There wasn't any point in lying.

"Your _real_ name, child!" the Captain barked. Dust flinched but couldn't stop his brow furrowing ever so slightly in confusion. Real…name?

"Wha…what do you mean?" he asked feebly. "I told you! My name's Dust!"

"Do not lie to me, boy!" the Captain yelled, kicking Dust to the ground as he struggled to stand. "Where are you from? And what were you doing in Aurora?"

"P…Please! I live there!" Dust begged, covering his face in fear. "I don't _know_ where I came from! Mom found me as a baby…!"

"Can it be possible…?" the Captain murmured, eerily calm as he seemed to pause in thought. Dust uncovered his eyes to anticipate any further blows. "No…there is no other that you can be!"

"What are you talking about?" Dust cried, grunting when an armoured boot came into contact with his stomach.

"Silence!" the Captain snapped before looking at his men. "Bring him with us. His Majesty will decide his fate."

Dust whimpered in protest as he felt rough hands grabbing his arms and forcing him up onto his knees.

"Wha…what do you want with me?" he murmured pleadingly.

"It is not the place of the one who killed the great General Gaius to ask such questions," the Captain snarled. Dust's eyes flew wide open — _what?!_

"Wha…? Killed? General Gaius…?" he spluttered. "That's impossible! He died fifteen years ago!"

"Keep quiet!" a soldier barked but by now Dust was certain that they'd all lost their minds.

"Let me go! I've done nothing!" he protested, his vigour restored. "I'm thirteen! There's no way that could have been me!"

"You will hold your tongue, child!" the Captain barked, striking the boy across the face, dazing him. He signalled for the soldiers to drop him — they did so by flinging him across the forest floor. Dust grunted and scrambled back until he hit a tree as the Captain of the Guard stood over him, sword raised as if to strike. "His Majesty has given us orders to bring you to him alive, but if you do not come quietly, then I will deliver judgement in his place!"

Dust let out a cry of terror, closing his eyes and bringing his arms up in a futile attempt to shield himself. Desperate, he let out a shriek as if calling for help…

…but the name he shouted was not one that he recognised.

"AHRAH!"

As if in response to Dust's cry for help, there came a few noises of confusion from the soldiers before a shocked yelp sounded, accompanied by the sound of metal clanging against metal. Dust felt something collide against the palm of his hand — on instinct alone, he closed his hand around it. Daring to open his eyes, Dust gasped in surprise as he saw a sword in his hand, held in a backhanded grip and with a blade shaped like none that he'd ever seen before.

The grip was simple enough, made of a sturdy wood and bound in leather but at the pommel was a pink gem encased in gold. The blade itself was made of a blue-grey metal that Dust couldn't name, with gold veins close to the hilt and a ruby inlaid in the blade itself. Near the end of the blade were a series of five runes that Dust didn't recognise which were glowing bright cyan, giving off a wispy smoke as Dust moved the sword.

But if the sword's appearance wasn't strange enough, what came next nearly made Dust jump right out of his skin.

"You summoned me, Master?" a voice sounded. Dust shrieked and nearly dropped the thing.

"AH! Wha…?!" he stammered in shock. "A…a talking sword?!" Well, there was no other explanation he could think of, especially when the voice came again.

"Now is not the time, Dust," the sword said calmly. Dust blinked in surprise and confusion — how did this thing know his name? "Trust your instincts. Now rise and fight!"

Shaking but gripping the sword tightly in his hands, Dust pushed himself to his feet shifted into a battle-ready stance. The Captain of the Guard and his men…an older soldier…stared at Dust in confusion and one started, seemingly in recognition.

"That sword…" he cried. "I recognise that blade, Captain!"

"Then we have our man," the Captain snarled. Dust gritted his teeth.

"What am I going to have to say to get it through to you?" he snapped. "You've got the wrong fox!"

Feeling a new and foreign strength surge through his body, Dust charged forward as he swung the sword upwards. The sudden charge took the Captain by surprise but he and the rest of his men were quick to respond.

Dust found himself in a one on ten fight. He'd never trained for something like this — all of his duels had been one on one with Corbin back in Aurora — and yet he felt his body move with an ease that came so naturally to him and yet was entirely foreign to him. Cartwheeling and strafing through the mob, Dust let his body guide him as he began to fight back against the soldiers that had been pursuing him.

Before long it was just the Captain of the Guard left. With nothing but the will to survive and escape to guide him, Dust engaged in a duel with the man, parrying blows and striking plenty of his own with the newfound strength that the sword…whatever it was…seemed to give him. After a few minutes, the Captain was sent flying into a tree where he fell unconscious to the ground. It was at that point that Dust seemed to grasp what had just happened.

"I…where did…? How did I…do that?" he panted.

"I will explain everything, Dust," the sword spoke. "But there may be more soldiers, and these ones may wake up soon. For now, continue west."

"There's nothing there except the Glade!" Dust protested, for a moment not really caring that he was carrying a sword that A) spoke and B) somehow knew his name.

"The Glade is protected by a barrier powered by Elysian magic," the sword explained. "It will not allow anyone through who means you harm. You will be safe there."

Making no reply apart from a grunt of understanding, Dust turned tail and continued running towards the west, this time not daring to look back over his shoulder for fear that he would get distracted and lose his footing again. He recognised the path he was taking — his mother had walked him along this same path to show him where she'd found him. That had been when he was five, but he still remembered it eight years later.

The shimmer in the air wasn't something he recalled though. Assuming that this was the barrier that the sword had mentioned, Dust closed his eyes and charged forward — he felt nothing around him but stumbled to a stop to catch his breath. Pausing for a moment, the barrier seemed more obvious on the inside — how had he missed this before? Or had it not been up before? Through it, the rest of the forest appeared as if Dust were looking through a wall of water.

His energy spent, Dust kept trudging forwards until finally he found himself in the Glade. Wildflowers grew in the patches of sunlight that streamed through the thick foliage above him, creating a circle around a soft patch of grass which Dust promptly collapsed into in exhaustion. At the same time, he dropped the sword to the ground but it didn't remain there for long — after a second or two, it began floating by his side, hilt down and runes flashing as it spoke.

"Give yourself a moment, Master," it said soothingly. It took a few seconds but Dust soon got enough air back in his lungs to repair the stitch that had flared in his side as well as to speak.

"Wha…what's going on here?" he whispered, shaking in confusion and eyes twitching.

"Calm yourself, Dust," the sword said gently. "We are safe here. Take deep breaths. I understand that this must be a lot to take in." Oh, Dust was anything _but_ calm at this moment in time.

" _You_ are a _talking, flying sword_!" the teenager spat incredulously as he fell back into a sitting position. "Of _course_ it's a lot to take in!" He paused for a fraction of a second before asking the next question on his mind. "And how do you know my name, anyway?"

"For the same reason that you know mine," the sword replied calmly. "You are my fated sword bearer." What?

"I don't know your name!" Dust protested. "And what do you mean by 'fated sword bearer'?"

"It would appear that reintroductions are in order. Very well," the sword said, with every bit of calmness as it had the moment it appeared in Dust's hand. "I am the Blade of Ahrah," it introduced. "I am one of the five Blades of Elysium. My power is yours to command."

"The…Blade of Ahrah?" Dust repeated. He had shouted out 'Ahrah' in desperation when the Captain of the Guard had nearly run him through. The name felt so familiar as it rolled off his tongue…where had he heard it before? "Did I…summon you because I needed help?"

"It certainly seemed that way, Master," Ahrah replied. "And it appears that I was not a moment too soon."

"You got that right…" Dust murmured when the brief calm quiet was suddenly broken by a screech through the trees.

"HEEEEEEEEY!"

"EEK! What the…?!" Dust yelped, jumping about a foot in the air and landing on his backside again in shock. "I thought you said it was safe here!" he cried. The Blade of Ahrah remained unfazed.

"I did not lie about that, Dust," it insisted. "What approaches is not an enemy."

Dust highly doubted that the small, orange, flying cat-thing that came into the Glade moments later would have proven much of a challenge even if it _had_ meant to hurt him.

"Huff…huff…" it panted. "What…what's the big idea?" the creature snapped, its voice revealing it to be a female. Dust yelped in surprise again — he knew what kind of creature this was… And she seemed to be talking to the sword. "That's the _third_ time you've flown off without warning! Do you know how annoying that is for me?" it reprimanded.

"A…is that a nimbat?!" Dust spluttered. He'd only had a freaking _doll_ that looked exactly like this creature since his was a baby — Ginger had told him that she'd found it with him in the Glade. Ahrah took no notice of Dust's outburst and answered the nimbat as calm as ever.

"The circumstances called for quick action," it explained. "Dust required my immediate assistance. There was no time for explanations." Wait, these two knew each other? Ahrah's explanation only seemed to irritate the nimbat further.

"You could have _said_ that rather than fly off without a word again!" the orange creature retorted. "Do you even _realise_ how much stress you just put my wings through? It's a miracle I'm still airborne, you stupid sword!"

"When is someone going to tell me what's going on?!" Dust blurted out from his position on the floor of the Glade. The nimbat crossed her arms indignantly and pouted.

"Well, that is certainly something _I'd_ like to know as well…" she suddenly cut herself off mid-sentence as she finally seemed to notice Dust. When she saw him, recognition and confusion flashed across eyes of emerald green. "Huh?' she blinked.

"What?" Dust said with a frown. The nimbat glanced at the Blade of Ahrah again, which was still floating to the side.

"Umm…Ahrah, you _did_ say this was Dust, right?" she asked uncertainly.

"That, I did," Ahrah confirmed. Dust's frown deepened and it took all of his self restraint to not swat the nimbat away as she flew closer to get a closer look at him. What did his name mean to her? Why had she said it like she recognised it?

"Wow," she remarked. "Well…you look…significantly younger than I remember," she noted after a pause. Dust let out a squeak of confusion which seemingly went unnoticed. "Have you been following one of those anti-ageing programmes?"

 _Grr — again with this recognition that made no sense!_

"What are you talking about?" Dust snapped, backing away to get himself some space. "What do you mean 'younger than you remember'? That doesn't even make any sense!"

The nimbat looked dejected and her wings and ears dropped in irritation.

"Oh, dear god…" she muttered, barely in earshot. "Don't tell me we've got _another_ case of amnesia on our hands," she grumbled. Dust choked on air again — _amnesia_?! He had a _perfectly_ retentive memory, thank you very much!

"My memory's just fine!" he snapped. " _You're_ the one flapping around making no sense! And how come you look identical to my nimbat doll?" he added, a hint of sassy-argumentative-teenager sneaking its way into his voice.

"Probably because _I'm_ the real deal and…" the nimbat suddenly froze midair before seemingly having a small fit while somehow staying airborne. "WHAT?!" she squeaked. "YOU MEAN YOU ACTUALLY _KEPT_ THAT THING?!" Okay, first off: 'kept'? Of course he'd _kept_ it — it was a childhood toy! Second…

"That doesn't answer my question, Fidget!" Dust retaliated before he put much thought into what he was saying.

"Of _all_ the things to hang onto, it was that stupid…" the nimbat broke herself off again, this time in surprise. She blinked a couple of times and stared at Dust with a mix of awe and confusion in her eyes. "Wait, did you…? You just said my name," she murmured. Dust started and stiffened. What?

"Huh? I…I did?" he stuttered. Fidget…was that this creature's name? It had come out of his mouth without him even realising it.

"It would appear that your memories have not left you after all, Dust," the Blade of Ahrah spoke up calmly. "They were merely lying dormant, waiting for the right trigger for their return." Dust was growing increasingly confused — his memories had been lying _dormant_? How was that even possible?

"That still doesn't make any sense!" he protested. "How can I know her name?" he asked, pointing at the nimbat. "I've never met her in my life." The nimbat crossed her arms again.

"Oh, thanks," she drooled sarcastically. "I feel _so_ appreciated."

"I would have to correct you there, Dust," Ahrah contradicted. "While this is the first time that you've met Fidget in _this_ life, you have certainly met before."

"Wh…what?" Dust spluttered. How…?

"Think carefully, Dust," Ahrah urged. "Look around you — what is this place to you?" Dust did so, casting his gaze around the Glade.

"I…this is where Mom found me as a baby," he replied. Ahrah pressed hum, urging him to think about what else it was to him. All that did was make Dust ever more confused. "I…don't understand…"

"I've gotta say, neither do I," Fidget admitted, staring blankly at the sword.

"Very well, I shall explain," Ahrah said simply. "Dust, there is a reason that Fidget recognises you even in your current appearance, and why you subconsciously know both her name and mine." Dust listened, ready for the explanation — he certainly couldn't think of anything and he certainly wasn't expecting the explanation he actually received. "It is because we knew each other fifteen years ago."

"What?!" Dust cried. "That's impossible!" Again with the improbable timelines… "I'm thirteen!" he protested for the second time that afternoon. "How could I…?"

"Hold on!" Fidget interrupted. Dust stopped his protest to listen. "I think I'm catching on here."

"How can you understand _any_ of this?!" Dust demanded. Fidget looked nervous and rubbed her arm whilst her tail twisted around her legs.

"Well, I…" she took a deep breath and started again. "Look, I completely understand if this sounds totally crazy and you don't want to believe me," she sighed. "It's just that I… I…" she kept breaking herself off as if she was trying to recount a story that evoked bad memories for her. Eventually, she was able to get her words out. "Fifteen years ago, I saw you being consumed by lava in the Everdawn Basin."

"WHAT?!" Dust yelled, his voice cracking ever so slightly. How could…? That wasn't possible…

"We all thought we'd lost you," Fidget continued. "But then the Blade of Ahrah rose from the basin following a trail of blue smoke…" She paused and made direct eye contact with Dust. "I think that was you…well, your spirit, at least."

"My…spirit?" Dust repeated, quieter than before and his voice heavy with disbelief. He closed his eyes to think, but as he did so he could still see the Glade…but it was somewhat different. Ahrah still hung suspended in the air in front of him, but his hand reached out unbidden — it was garbed in a long grey sleeve, not the bandages he wore as arm wraps. He opened his eyes again.

"Indeed," the Blade of Ahrah spoke. "Dust, I take it that you have heard the tales of Sen-Mithrarin, the Hero of Falana?" Who hadn't?

"That was my favourite story when I was small," Dust replied. "It's really popular back home. Mom used to tell it to me all the time…" He trailed off, something suddenly clicking in his mind.

Sen-Mithrarin had been a fox-Warmblood.

Sen-Mithrarin had wielded a sword identical to the Blade of Ahrah.

Sen-Mithrarin had travelled with a nimbat companion who was the guardian of the sword.

Sen-Mithrarin meant 'He Who is Born from the Dust'.

"What you're saying is… I'm…him?" Dust exhaled in disbelief. There was only one explanation for what was going on. If Sen-Mithrarin had been a grown man during his adventures, and Dust was now a teenager…he was… "Reborn?" he added.

"That is exactly what I am saying," Ahrah confirmed.

Once again, Dust closed his eyes, bringing himself back to the other Glade. His arm reached out without his bidding and took the Blade of Ahrah in hand. Moments later, a nimbat flew into the clearing — Dust recognised her as Fidget. She seemed out of breath and a foggy voice sounded in his ears, echoing as if in a cave.

 _Stop…stop right there!_

 _And who's she?_

That was his voice, but…older.

 _Me? I'm Fidget. Guardian of this sword._

It shouldn't be possible, and yet Dust felt that this vision was as real as any of his other memories.

"You know, now that I think about it, being reborn _does_ explain why you look like a kid," Fidget noted. Dust looked at her with a dry glare on his face and his mouth pulled into a sarcastic pout. He was remembering gradually how she behaved…nothing seemed to have changed in that regards. _By Elysium, he was already thinking in a way that felt like he was catching up with an old friend!_

"That's because I _am_ a kid, Fidget," he grumbled.

"Wow — you're actually one of the only people I can list who's not said that in the negative," Fidget remarked. "Actually, you'd be the first." Dust sighed and tucked his knees under his chin.

"It's not like there's any point in saying I'm not, Fidget," he pointed out. "It's just…this is a lot to take in," he added. Fidget blinked in surprise.

"You mean you believe us?" she asked. "Heck, even I think we sound crazy! I don't blame you if you think we're completely off our heads." Dust shook his head.

"No, I do believe you…both of you," he insisted. Something about the explanation…he hadn't thought it possible or even true before but now…things made sense. It felt right. The conversation between him, Fidget and Ahrah felt _right_. Like he'd done it many times before. "Somehow…I don't know why but I know that you're telling the truth." Fidget smiled, her tiny fangs showing ever so slightly.

"Well, it's not like we've got a reason to lie to you," she shrugged. Dust smiled despite himself.

"Well, yeah," he admitted. "There's that, but…it's also this place," he added, gesturing to the Glade. "Mom found me here as a baby and she took me here once when I was little…but I remember meeting you two here as well." Fidget lit up like a candle.

"Really?" she gasped. "You remember that?" Dust nodded.

"It just came back to me," he explained. "It's not entirely clear, but I remember us meeting here, and Fidget asking for the sword." The more he spoke, the more Dust found himself remembering. He remembered Fidget's half-baked challenge for the sword before she decided to accompany him until he'd finished using it. He remembered…not remembering anything. That was actually scary. Meanwhile, Fidget had gone silent in thought.

"Say, Ahrah," she said after a moment or two. 'You reckon Dust's memories from last time are starting to come back now that he's summoned you again?" she asked. "Maybe you triggered something," she added as a suggestion.

"That is very likely to be the case, Fidget," the Blade of Ahrah agreed. "You may very well be right." Fidget crossed her arms again, her expression suddenly shifting to its irritated pouting state.

"And speaking of him re-summoning you, _why_ did it _get_ to that point?" she demanded. Dust would have been taken aback by her tone of voice if he didn't agree with what she was saying. A lot of his confusion two minutes ago could have easily been avoided if Ahrah had been around to explain things earlier in his life. "I thought you would have stuck with him!"

"She's got a point, Ahrah," Dust said. "If I'm your fated sword bearer…where've you been for the past thirteen years?" The Blade of Ahrah did not hesitate in giving its answer.

"It would have hardly been appropriate for a newborn life to have a sentient weapon constantly following it around, would it?" it pointed out. Dust opened his mouth to protest but eventually couldn't come up with anything and shrugged — that made sense.

"Still, would have been nice to see him every once in a while," Fidget grumbled. "You know how much I've missed this guy." Dust felt emotionally touched by the remark. He remembered Fidget saying how she was the guardian of the sword, so that would have meant that she needed to keep an eye on it wherever it went, but he still hadn't fully remembered the full scope of _his_ relationship with her.

"Were we really that close?" he asked softly, feeling guilty that he couldn't completely remember. Bits and pieces were coming to mind every few minutes, but it was like he was slowly piecing together a thousand-piece puzzle, with each piece trying to find where it fit with the others.

"Still not remembering everything?" Fidget winced. That made Dust feel worse.

"Things are coming back in pieces," he claimed. "It's…like I'm trying to remember a dream," he explained. "If I try too hard, things start going fuzzy." Fidget nodded in understanding.

"Well, yeah," she said quietly. "We were pretty tight."

"My apologies, Fidget," the Blade of Ahrah spoke. "But I hope you can understand that my distance from Dust was for his own good growing up."

Dust found himself oddly grateful for that. He couldn't say that he'd ever wanted to know his past before Ginger had found him, and the fact that no one had tried to forcefully intervene on his happiness was something that he felt immense gratitude for. And now that very past was beginning to surface — he might not be happy about the circumstances in which it had happened, but reuniting with Fidget and the Blade of Ahrah…

Dust may have only known them for about ten minutes in this life, but he knew and felt like he'd known them a lot longer. To say he was grateful to have them back in his life would be the understatement of the year.

* * *

 **The gang is back together and, oh, my goodness, I love Fidget to pieces. I've loved writing her for this story, so I hope I've done her justice.**


	5. A Hero Reborn

**A Hero Reborn**

Despite having memories trickling back into his head of a time long forgotten and knowing that they were his, Dust was still having a hard time grasping that he was the hero he and so many other people in Aurora Village idolised and had done since he could first grasp the concept of admiration. All of those stories that Ginger had told him throughout his childhood…they'd all been about him. She'd known his previous life… It made him wonder if she'd known who he was…that he was still the friend she'd known.

Also, had he really gotten a one-thousand hit combo?

But then there was something else. What he'd done… Sen-Mithrarin had defeated General Gaius in Everdawn Basin, bringing an end to the war fifteen years ago. Ginger had said that General Gaius had been consumed by the flames of Everdawn, Sen-Mithrarin following, but the Captain of the Guard…

"That soldier…the Captain…" he murmured. Fidget ceased her flying and settled down on a nearby tree stump to listen. The Blade of Ahrah still hovered at Dust's side. "He said that Sen-Mithrarin…that I killed someone," he added, his voice dripping with concern. "General Gaius…" Fidget shuddered.

"Can't say I ever hoped or thought I'd hear _that_ guy's name again," she muttered.

"Do you remember anything about him, Dust?" the Blade of Ahrah asked calmly. Dust thought for a moment — the things coming straight to mind were what he'd heard from others. For now, he could picture a face, but nothing more.

"At the moment, only what I've heard," he admitted. "We've got a fair few Moonbloods living in the village now, and Mom told me that Gaius led the campaigns against them over fifteen years ago…nearly drove them to extinction…" He paused, a field of fire crossing his vision. He could see a Warmblood he somehow knew to be General Gaius in front of him, holding a broadsword at his side.

He'd faced him. Told him to raise his blade to fight or drop it and surrender. Dust could hear and remember himself saying those words, even though he'd never spoken them in this life. Had he really…?

"Did I…?" he asked quietly, unable to finish the question.

"It is true that you faced General Gaius in the Everdawn Basin, and that you defeated him," Ahrah confirmed. "However, you did not directly end his life."

Dust closed his eyes as visions of the fight began pouring into his mind. He could see himself disarming Gaius and knocking him backwards…only for something to send him flying moments later. Everything went black for a moment before he could see himself dragging his weary body across the scorching ground, answering a foggy and unclear voice. He could see Gaius hanging off an edge overhanging a lava lake beneath them. He reached out his hand…

"You tried to save him," Fidget explained sadly. "But he let go…" Dust nodded, his eyes still closed as the memory finished playing in his head.

"I remember," he murmured. "He said the world he loved was gone, and told me to cherish it," he added, his voice ringing with a sad nostalgia as if he were remembering an old friend. Why did he feel that way about a man who had supposedly been his enemy? Luckily Fidget brought him out of the brief musing before he could dwell on it for too long.

"And? Have you?" she asked. Dust smiled slightly.

"Well, I can't say that I've wanted for anything all my life," he replied, his tone becoming brighter. "Mom's barely let me have a down moment." It was true — his mother always knew how to cheer him up when he was upset about something, and had taught him the value of things both materialistically and sentimentally. As such, Dust had never been spoilt and knew how to work for something he truly wanted, but at the same time would happily accept a treat if it came his way. "Not to mention her curry is something else."

"Sounds like you've struck gold with this new life," Fidget grinned, once again taking flight to hover by Dust's shoulder with her green eyes twinkling. "And high time you got lucky," she added. "After everything you did, you deserve it."

"Thanks, Fidget," Dust smiled before his thoughts drifted to his mother again. All those stories she'd told him… She'd known Sen-Mithrarin…known _him_ … "I wonder if she knew," he thought out loud. Fidget frowned in thought for a moment, humming as she did so.

"Say, Dust?" she piped up after a second or two. "What's your mother's name?" she asked. Upon seeing Dust's questioning frown, she added: "Just out of interest." Dust saw no harm in replying — maybe Fidget and Ahrah would know his mother too.

"Ginger, why?" he replied. Fidget nearly fell out of the air.

"WHAT?!" she shrieked, the noise going straight down Dust's ear and causing him to wince and checking that his eardrums hadn't burst.

"FIDGET!" he hissed. Fidget ignored him.

" _Ginger_ is the one who's been raising you these past thirteen years?!" she screeched.

"I take it you know her, then…" Dust grimaced, still checking his hearing.

"Of course I know her!" Fidget snapped. "I don't know if those memories have come back to you yet, but she was _pretty important_ during our last adventure!" Dust scowled at her.

"Once again, you are delving into the realms of Not Making Any Sense, Fidget," he retorted. "Mom said she _knew_ Sen-Mith…I mean, me…but I'm asking if she knew that I'm _still him_."

"It hasn't twigged that she _might_ have adopted you _because_ she knew you before?" Fidget pointed out with her voice still dripping with irritated cynicism.

"Why wouldn't she tell me if that was the case?" Dust questioned. The Blade of Ahrah thankfully decided to step in before the argument could spiral into a full blown shouting match.

"I would imagine that she did not want the mantle of Sen-Mithrarin being a burden to you in your new life, Dust," it suggested. "Such a reputation is a heavy one to bear for a full grown man, let alone one as young as yourself." Dust calmed down, as did Fidget.

"Guess I should be grateful for that…" Dust mumbled, wondering to himself if there were any others who'd known. He was starting to remember Ginger…his adoptive mother…at a younger age. It should have been impossible, but he could see her at merely a few years older than himself. She was sad and distant…that had to have been shortly after she'd lost her family and home.

"In any case, she's done a pretty good job at the whole mothering thing from what I can tell," Fidget said, bringing Dust away from his memories. "Especially if your life's been pretty good up until now," she added with a frown. "What happened to send you running all the way out here anyway? The way Ahrah puts it makes it sound like you were in a bit of a fix." Dust frowned.

"You don't know?" he asked. Fidget pouted sarcastically at him.

"Oh, forgive me for not paying much attention to things because I was chasing down a _crazy, flying sword_!" she snapped dryly. Dust felt his heart rate starting to increase as his reasons for being in the Glade came back to him…

"Aurora was sieged by the Royal Guard," he explained. "At first, it sounded like they were just looking for Moonbloods but then they mentioned something about a white fox-Warmblood that shouldn't exist. They chased after me as soon as they saw me."

"'Shouldn't exist'?" Fidget repeated in astonishment. "That's a bit cr…" She cut herself off again as her eyes went as wide as her head. "Wait! Did you say Aurora Village?!" she squeaked. Dust froze…

By Elysium, how long had he _been_ in the Glade?!

"Wait…oh, no!" he exclaimed, springing to his feet and eyes turning wide with terror. "Mom! The villagers… They…they were hurting them! They were hurting her! She…they could all still be in trouble! I shouldn't be here. I've got to do something!" He grabbed the Blade of Ahrah out of the air and began racing through the Glade, heading east towards Aurora Village.

"I would advise against doing anything rash, Dust," the sword spoke.

"I _have_ to go back, Ahrah!" Dust protested urgently. He stopped in his tracks for a moment — he needed to be sure of something. "Look, those skills that came to me back when I was fighting the Captain… You awakened those too, right?"

"As I said the first time you fought using me," Ahrah replied calmly. "You wield the Blade of Ahrah, and with it, all skills imbued therein." Dust grit his teeth in determination.

"I can help them with these skills," he insisted. He may not have stood a chance against the Royal Guard before, but now, with this newly reawakened power coursing through his veins…he felt like he could take on anything. There was something else…he felt like he _needed_ to be there. He _needed_ to fight…to protect them. "And if I'm Sen-Mithrarin, I _have_ to help them!" he added. Fidget flew up next to his shoulder, her face glowing with confidence.

"Well, count on me to watch your back, Dust," she grinned reassuringly.

"You'll come with me?" Dust blinked, half in surprise but also half in relief.

"Don't you remember?" Fidget smirked slyly. "I've got a few tricks of my own up my metaphorical sleeve." Dust chuckled — oh, he remembered alright. Those light pebbles Fidget had started with hadn't been much to sniff at, but he could also see, in his mind's eye, the nimbat shooting fireballs and bolts of lightning. He wouldn't say it out loud, but he was looking forward to fighting alongside the little orange fur-ball again. "Besides," Fidget continued. "We went through _way_ too much together for me to just ditch you ten minutes after our little reunion."

Wow. Had it really only been ten minutes? Dust could have sworn that it felt longer. Pushing the amount of time he'd been sheltering in the Glade whilst his home was still in danger to the back of his mind, Dust pressed on through the trees, through the barrier that Ahrah claimed to have powered (it was a Blade of Elysium — Dust was guessing it was powered by the same kind of magic at least) — he had to stop when he saw the unconscious bodies of soldiers strewn in the tree branches.

"What happened to these guys?" he asked.

"As I said, Dust — the barrier will not allow any to pass who mean you harm," Ahrah replied.

"What exactly happened to them?" Fidget quizzed.

"An electrical discharge — enough to render them unconscious but not enough to do permanent damage," Ahrah answered. There was an uncomfortable pause which Dust ended.

"It's given them amnesia, hasn't it?" he asked dryly.

"And you call yourself the Voice of Reason…" Fidget grumbled.

"I did what I had to," Ahrah protested with not change to the tone of its voice whatsoever. "Let us press forward."

"We're not done talking about this, Ahrah," Dust said warningly as he pelted past the unconscious soldiers than through the forest leading to the valley where his home was located. Making his way through the trees, he came across the deer herd once more although they scattered soon after he arrive on the scene. Dust didn't blame them — it wasn't exactly often that people just ran through the deer's territory in such a manner — but what replaced them nearly made him jump out of his skin.

A pack of grotesque creatures that Dust had only ever seen on bounty hunt fliers sprung from the woods, blocking his path. He recognised the types — imps and beasts — and they were even more hideous in real life. The bounty posters didn't do their monstrous appearances justice.

"AH!" he yelped. "Where did those things come from?!" He wasn't proud to admit that his voice cracked.

"Calm yourself, Dust," Ahrah spoke. "Focus on what you have remembered of your skills."

Dust barely heard the last part as an imp sprung towards him and he cried out in fear — in his panic, he spun Ahrah around while averting his gaze, only opening his eyes when he heard the screeches of the monsters colliding with something (unfortunately they were still very much conscious).

"Good to see you've still got Dust Storm going for you," Fidget smirked.

"Sorry — I panicked," Dust grimaced.

"Hey, I've got your back, remember?" Fidget reassured. "Fire up that Dust Storm again — time for a reminder of what your old friend Fidget can do."

Dust obliged, spinning the Blade of Ahrah in front of him at top speed to create a whirlwind that was sending the imps and beasts flying. He noticed Fidget's paws glowing for a moment before a set of glowing projectiles fired from them — as soon as they mixed with the whirlwind, they split apart and began pelting the monsters like hailstones. It was a miracle Dust and Fidget themselves didn't get hit. Put it down to magic. Dust continued the assault with Dust Storm until the Blade of Ahrah slipped in his grasp, hitting him smack on the temple. To add to things, a painful jolt surged up his arm, nearly causing him to drop the sword.

"Ow…" Dust winced. "Forgot about that…" he winced. To be fair, you couldn't blame him for not remembering that Dust Storm would hurt after a while. The imps and beasts were still standing so he switched to melée combat to finish them off, with Fidget swooping in to get a few attacks of her own.

Once the area was cleared, Dust slumped against the nearest tree.

"Phew…" he huffed.

"You've changed — it used to be _me_ who got scared out of my skin at the first sight of monsters," Fidget said.

"Can you blame me?" Dust squeaked, his voice cracking again. "Those things sprung outta nowhere!"

"I take it monster sightings have become significantly lower over the last decade then," Fidget guessed. Having caught his breath, Dust pushed himself back to an upright standing position.

"I've come up these cliffs with Kalyn more times than I can bother to count for years," he explained. "We've never had a problem with monsters before."

"That's weird…" Fidget admitted. "Why would they be springing up all over the place again? And why now of all times?" Dust was thinking the exact same thing and automatically glanced at the Blade of Ahrah as if expecting an answer out of the sword.

"I cannot say for certain," it spoke. Dust sagged in disappointment — so much for that. "Let us continue to Aurora."

"Way ahead of you there," Dust said, already getting back into a jog as he reached the top of the valley before jumping down to the floor below. Fidget was having no trouble keeping up and was always just a short distance behind him, hovering just over his shoulder.

"Who's Kalyn?" she piped up as they ran into another batch of monsters at the valley floor. Dust sent an imp flying before answering.

"My best friend," he replied. "I don't know if you knew a couple called Moska and Sarahi at all?"

"Moska's got our freaking autographs," Fidget replied. "Of course I know him." Dust remembered Kalyn talking about the autograph earlier. She hadn't mentioned a nimbat signature, though _._ "Is Kalyn their kid?"

"Their eldest," Dust confirmed. "She was born a few weeks after Mom took me in. We've known each other since forever."

"Well, any friend of yours is a friend of mine," Fidget grinned. "Can't wait to meet her." Dust didn't miss the sly snicker in the nimbat's voice.

"It's not like that, Fidget!"

* * *

Monsters were pouring into Aurora Village by the time Dust arrived. His sense of urgency rose beyond what he'd ever felt before and he rushed forwards past the farm. On the Blade of Ahrah's suggestion, he forced himself to not get to the point where he threw all caution to the wind and a good thing too — if he had, the spiked slimes and the giants would have had him for late lunch by now if it weren't for the number of parries he'd done to block their attacks.

What he had noticed was a lack of soldiers — the village guards were still fighting but it was now the monsters and Dust knew that they had more experience with _those_ than with the Royal Guard. That's what Aurora's guards were trained for — monster fighting. Not warfare. He eventually spotted his teacher through the chaos.

"Corbin!" Dust shouted. Corbin sent a beast packing before responding to the call.

"Dust?!" he cried. "Get out of here! It's dangerous!" He was cut off by an imp trying to jump him from behind. Dust charged forward and with astonishing precision batted the monster away before it could do any damage. The act knocked Corbin backwards as well but he was otherwise unhurt.

"I think I can handle it," Dust said simply, holding out a hand. "How many more are there?" he asked as Corbin stood up, eyes wide in amazement.

"Uh…there's…another pack coming in from the east," Corbin replied. "But we can…"

"Okay, you take care of things here," Dust instructed. "I'll help out over by Old Bram's."

He left without another word, Fidget following closely behind him before Corbin could say another word of protest.

As soon as the last of the monsters had been either felled or had left the village, Dust ran back through town to find Corbin again. It didn't take him long — the guard had been looking for him as well.

"Corbin!" Dust cried out in relief. Corbin also heaved his student's name in relief and pulled him into a quick hug. Dust noticed that some people were staring but that most of the villagers were tending to others. He also spotted the Moonblood locals coming out of hiding looking utterly shaken. "Are you okay?" he asked, out of breath.

"I'm fine," Corbin replied. He glanced over his shoulder where his sister, Colleen, was tending to her husband and young children. _Thank Elysium, she was okay_. "Dust…how did you…?"

"Never mind that!" Dust interrupted. "Did anyone get hurt?" Corbin's face fell.

"From the monster attacks? Nothing we can't heal with basic medicine," he replied. "From the Royal Guard…"

"What happened?" Dust asked, his eyes wide with worry. Corbin looked heartbroken.

"They didn't spare any of the Moonblood guards," he admitted, his voice clearly pained. Dust's heart sank.

"No…" he murmured. Fidget gripped his arm in comfort and Corbin knelt down so that he was at the same eye-level as his pupil, placing his hands on his shoulders.

"Dust, we are all counting our lucky stars that they didn't find the Moonblood villagers," he reassured. "The guards didn't die in vain…"

"They shouldn't have had to die at all," Dust muttered to himself, his voice dripping with regret. He recognised it… He remembered arriving at a destroyed Denham Village only to find all of its inhabitants dead… "I wasn't fast enough." Corbin's grip on his shoulders tightened.

"Dust, I refuse to let you blame yourself for this," he snapped. "None of this was your fault. You didn't have to come back to save us, kid," he added. "Why _did_ you come back?"

 _Because I had to._

That's what Dust wanted to say.

"I…couldn't hide in the Glade and do nothing," he said instead. "Knowing that the Royal Guard were…" he trailed off, wanting to change the subject. He'd been running through the village fighting the invading monsters, but there had been some faces he'd not yet seen, not including the Moonbloods. "Corbin, are you sure there were no other casualties?"

"No other fatalities," Corbin reassured. "So many of the soldiers went after you that we were holding our own until the monsters showed up." Dust felt a touch happier and even surprised — despite their monster training, the village guards had been holding up better against the army? Maybe it was the drop in forces on their side?

"Needless to say I finally achieved that one-thousand hit combo I was telling you about," Corbin continued with a grimace. Dust's eyes went wide. "I can't say that I'm happy with the circumstances, really…" Dust pinched his eyes closed and let out a regretful sigh.

"I thought I told you I hoped you never got into a situation that called for you to pull that kind of thing off," he said.

"Like I said," Corbin shrugged. "I'm not…" He stopped in his tracks, suddenly clocking what the boy said. "Wait, what did you say, Dust?" he asked. Dust froze. Wait…

 _Someday, I'm going to be just as powerful as you, and then I'll be able to get a one-thousand hit combo._

 _Well, let's hope you never have to._

"I…I said that I…I…" Dust mumbled. He could see Corbin as a boy, younger than he was now. A boy who looked up to a hero with such admiration.

Of course. He was the one who had saved Corbin in Ivydale Glen years ago.

"Dust?" Fidget piped up. Corbin's expression went from confused to shock.

"What the…?!" he spluttered upon seeing the nimbat. "Fidget?!" Fidget took the opportunity to give her old friend an examination.

"Wow," she said. "You've grown up," she stated before shooting a sideways glance at Dust. "Unlike this guy who seems to have done the opposite…"

"Fidget, no…!" Corbin exclaimed before Dust stepped in.

"It's alright, Corbin," he cut across. "I…I know who I was…" he admitted. "I remember." Corbin looked stunned for a moment before relaxing, although his face was etched with sadness.

"I see," he murmured. Dust frowned and asked if Corbin had known that he was his hero, reborn. "To be honest, we all did, Dust," the guard admitted sadly. Dust looked shocked. "Well, except the kids. We didn't tell you because Ginger didn't want to burden you with what you did fifteen years ago." Dust nodded in understanding.

"Guess you were right, Ahrah," he said.

"Do not resent them, Dust," the blade requested. Dust was taken aback at that one.

"Wha…? I don't!" he protested. "Why would I?" Luckily Corbin stepped in before Dust could ponder the question for too long.

"When did you start remembering who you were, Dust?" he asked.

"The Captain of the Guard cornered me just outside the Glade," Dust explained. "I panicked and the next thing I know I'm holding the Blade of Ahrah," he added, gesturing to the sword in his hand. "Things just started coming back to me in bits and pieces from there." Corbin nodded and sighed once again.

"This is the last thing that Ginger wanted for you, Dust," he said. "Not the memory thing," he corrected himself hastily. "Just…getting involved in conflict again." Fidget nudged Dust's shoulder gently, giving her friend a small smile.

"Sounds like she cares for you a lot, Dust," she noted. Dust glanced around the village again — a lot of people had seen him by now. He would have thought they would have let his mother know that he was unharmed (mostly — the knife from earlier had left a nasty gash in his upper arm).

"Speaking of Mom, where is she?" he asked. "Is she okay?" Corbin's face turned crestfallen again.

"I…" he began, taking a deep breath before starting again. He knew that this news would hurt the boy. "They took her, Dust, not long after you fled."

"WHAT?!" Dust cried.

"We tried to get her back!" Corbin continued, his eyes filled with regret. "But the other villagers…" He looked shaken by the memory. "And with the Moonblood guards being cut down…we had fewer forces to work with. In the end, she told us to help the others and we lost sight of her." Dust was looking wobbly on his feet.

"Mom…" he whispered. He hadn't been fast enough…

"I'm sorry," Corbin murmured as he pulled the boy into a hug that offered little comfort. The Blade of Ahrah hung limply at Dust's side and Fidget buried her face into his silver hair as he fell silent. All was quiet until the Blade of Ahrah spoke up.

"Dust, I can sense that Ginger is still alive," it said. "If we move quickly, we may yet be able to save her." Dust shot upright with an exclamation, causing Fidget to tumble over in midair for a moment before righting herself.

"You'd better not be messing with him, Ahrah!" she squeaked.

"I have no reason to lie to my Master, Fidget," Ahrah said as-a-matter-of-factly. Dust was already hopping from foot to foot.

"Then I shouldn't be staying here!" he exclaimed. "I need to find her!" Corbin looked horrified.

"You're going to set off just like that?!" he cried. "I know you're Falana's hero and everything, Dust…" He paused. "Heck, you're _my_ hero," her added in an undertone.

"Do we have you to thank for Dust's combat skills not being rusty?" Fidget asked. Corbin nodded. "And you've been his instructor _how_ long?"

"Five years," Dust cut in.

"Yeah, can't say I was expecting that," Corbin admitted with an embarrassed grimace before he went back to the topic at hand. "Anyway, even if you _are_ the legendary Sen-Mithrarin, Dust…you're still a kid."

"I noticed," Dust replied sarcastically.

"He's got a point, Dust," Fidget agreed. "I mean, you could _at least_ get some protective gear or something." Dust pouted at her. "I don't care how good you are with that sword. Ginger will probably throttle me if she found out that I let her son run around Falana when he's now most likely a wanted fugitive…"

"Who said anything about being a wanted fugitive?" Dust interrupted, his voice squeaking again. Fidget once again ignored him.

"…without some decent travel clothes," she finished insistently.

" _What_ is wrong with my clothes?" Dust huffed. Fidget stared at him incredulously.

"Uh…have you not _seen_ the holes in that shirt?"


	6. Setting Out

**Setting Out**

Dust had refused to go to the shop until he'd made absolutely sure that there wasn't anything in his house that he could wear for the journey that awaited him. Fidget had made a comment about how frugal he'd turned, to which Dust simply commented that he didn't like spending money if he didn't need to. On top of that, he needed a moment to process…everything. He'd accepted that he was Sen-Mithrarin reborn, for sure, but everything else…the deaths of the Moonblood guards of Aurora at the hands of the army…the capture of his mother…

He needed to be away from the pitying gazes of the other villagers for a few minutes.

Fidget opted to stay quiet for as long as Dust didn't feel like talking. She wasn't a motherly type and she wasn't going to pretend that she was, but even after so long she still considered Dust her best friend, despite the form he now took. In the end she simply sat on his shoulder, just as a physical reminder that she was there.

"Never thought things could change so drastically for me in the space of a single afternoon…" Dust finally said after raiding the house and finding a more hardwearing shirt and pair of boots. The place had been ransacked by the Royal Guard, possibly in an attempt to find more Moonbloods (Ginger was known to be a sympathiser, after all), and a lot of Dust and Ginger's possessions had been strewn across the floor; broken, torn and shattered. Ginger's herb garden had been left in ruin.

"We'll fix things, Dust," Fidget promised. "Just like we did before, okay?" she added, patting his shoulder gently. The boy nodded, holding back tears as he patched up the wound in his arm with a few medical supplies he found in the kitchen.

"I guess we left the job unfinished, though," he sighed, heading upstairs which was less demolished but still bore some level of damage. Falling silent again, he entered his room — he might as well have not bothered cleaning it earlier. It was in more of a state than he'd left it before pranking his mother that morning. Staying calm, Dust moved the pillows and blankets back onto his bed, pausing when a familiar doll flopped to the floor.

"I still can't believe you kept that thing…" Fidget grumbled. Dust knelt down and picked up the doll, holding it so delicately it was as if he was afraid to break it. Fidget flew over to get a closer look — the doll looked worn and faded from years of love and care, but it had also been patched up in several places where some blackened fabric was poking out from beneath the repair-fabric.

Scorch marks.

"It's…Mom found it with me in the Glade," Dust explained. "I guess it's all I've got from before…" Fidget regretted her tone and quickly apologised for it. "You don't mind me taking this, Fidget?" Dust asked, furiously wiping a stray tear away. "It's…just a piece of home."

"Go right ahead, Dust," Fidget said. "I'll make sure you don't lose it," she added, which Dust thanked her for.

Finding nothing else in the house, Dust finally relented and, after picking up the savings he and Ginger had, headed back out into the village, making his way towards the shop. It had barely come into view when a familiar purple Warmblood crashed into him.

"DUST!"

"Kalyn!" Dust gasped, tugging at the arms slowly choking him. "Can't breathe…"

"Thank the Overseers you're okay!" Kalyn half sobbed. "I meant to find you once the monsters cleared out but…"

"Kalyn, calm down," Dust said gently. "I'm fine. You're not hurt, are you?"

"No, I managed to find Tristan and the other Moonbloods," Kalyn replied. "The Royal Army didn't find us but we heard about the guards…"

"I wish I could have stopped them," Dust sighed. Fidget quickly reprimanded him which brought Kalyn's attention to her. "Oh, sorry," Dust winced. "Fidget, meet Kalyn. Kalyn, this is Fidget…an old friend," he said after a pause. Kalyn didn't even look shocked.

"So it's true, then…what Corbin said," she murmured. Dust shrank into himself slightly. "You're really him… Sen-Mithrarin."

"Yeah…it's hard to believe, but it's true," Dust admitted.

"I'll tell you what's hard to believe," Fidget muttered. "It's how accepting you are when it comes to these things. It's crazy."

"Crazy pretty much sums up Dust," Kalyn chuckled despite herself.

"Hey!" Dust exclaimed in protest.

"You're cool — I like you," Fidget grinned which set Kalyn giggling again. "So, you're Moska and Sarahi's eldest?"

"That's right," Kalyn confirmed. "Dad's told me a lot about how you and Se… I mean, Dust helped him out fifteen years ago," she said. "He still calls himself your biggest fan."

"Did he keep the autograph?" Fidget asked.

"Yep — still has it," Kalyn replied.

"We really made an impression on the guy," Fidget commented.

"I guess we did," Dust smiled in agreement. "Listen, Kalyn, I was wondering if you could help out."

"What do you need?"

"I…I'm leaving Aurora," Dust sighed. "I've got to find Mom. After everything she's done for me…I have to help her."

"I see," Kalyn said, her smile vanishing.

"Also, there's the fact that the Royal Army's going after Moonbloods again," Dust added. "Something's not right out there, Kalyn… I need to find out what it is and fix it."

"Long story short," Fidget cut in. "Have you got any decent travelling gear lying around?" she asked. "Aside from the boots and hole-less shirt this guy's found we've not got anything that'll cut cross-country travel."

"I understand," Kalyn nodded. "Come on in — I'll see what we've got."

She ducked into the shop, which in itself had seen better days. Dust wondered how long it would take for the place to get back on its feet properly, and if it would be by the time he returned. He had confidence in Kalyn and Mordecai — Mordecai did price his items higher than the Moonblood merchants did but he was nonetheless a good businessman, selling exclusive items that he didn't share with other merchants to keep customers, and Kalyn was rather business savvy herself. Knowing the pair of them, Dust made a guess that the shop should be back to a relative normality by the time he returned home.

"Right…I've got some more hardwearing pants back here you can use," Kalyn muttered as she sifted through the stock. "As well as a light mail vest — that'll give you a bit more protection than a cotton one."

"Kalyn, you know I can't afford something like chain-mail!" Dust protested. His friend shot him an insisting pout.

"You're taking the mail vest or you're not leaving this village," Kalyn snapped.

"Ooh! Dust got told," Fidget giggled.

"Besides, Dust, I'm not making you pay for anything here," Kalyn insisted. "This village owes you so much. This is the least I can do."

"But you don't owe me anything…" Dust protested.

"Dust, shut up," Fidget huffed. "It's not very often we get stuff for free so take it while it's on offer." Dust made to argue again but Fidget threatening to bite his face off succeeded in making him agree to the offer. The vest was big on Dust when he initially put it on but not even Kalyn knew how to adjust chain-mail so it had to do for now. She also found a whetstone and a couple of smooth rings which she also gave to Dust free of charge.

"Hey, Dust!" Fidget called from the back of the shop. Her voice was muffled and when Dust turned around he could just about see her tail poking through a pile of clothes.

"What is it, Fidget?" he called back. The nimbat then emerged with a satgat in her paws and a playful smirk on her face.

"How about this as well?" she snickered. Kalyn giggled next to her friend, remembering the statue in the town square. Of course: in his previous life, Dust had worn a satgat. "For old time's sake?" Poor Dust just looked confused.

"Uh…" he mumbled but Kalyn gave him a nudge.

"Oh, go on," she encouraged. "Try it on, at least." Seeing no point in arguing, Dust took the hat from Fidget and placed it on his head, his ears poking through the holes at the top to avoid getting squashed. With the hat on, Fidget could see her old friend once more — the satgat covered the whole upper part of his face, hiding his eyes and leaving only his mouth visible. Dust did not look amused.

"How did I even _see_ anything from under this thing?!" he snapped. Fidget couldn't help but hide a laugh behind a snort.

"I take it it's a 'no' to the stupid hat, then?" she sniggered. Dust tore the hat from his head and threw it like a frisbee into the back of the shop.

"Yes, it's a 'no' to the stupid hat!" he cried in exasperation. Fidget mock sighed.

"Well, I guess the Stupid Hat Club just lost one of its founding members," she smirked. Dust shot her a dry glare as he picked up a cyan travelling cloak. He later guessed he'd selected that one out of sheer nostalgia.

"There never _was_ a Stupid Hat Club, Fidget," he grumbled. Fidget mumbled something under her breath in response but Dust elected to ignore her that time. Kalyn giggled nearby. "What?"

"Nothing," the purple rabbit-Warmblood grinned. "Just that Mordecai once told me about the time he made the nimbat dolls — Fidget insulted the hats."

"I remember," Dust chuckled. "Vaguely, anyway." Kalyn smiled and began leading them back out of the shop. They had all the supplies they could carry for now and the best protective gear they could find, so she knew that Dust and Fidget would be leaving Aurora almost imminently.

"Come back if you change your mind about the hat," she joked. "If you ask me it actually looked pretty good on you."

"Tell you what, Kalyn," Dust huffed as they stepped back outside into the village. "I'll wear that hat the day Fidget beats me in a fight."

"HEY!"

"Okay, deal," Kalyn smirked. "Fidget, start training up."

"Look, my magic is better than it was fifteen years ago," Fidget protested. "But _he's_ the one with the sword that _three times my size_!"

Dust smirked — he shouldn't have to worry about having to ever wear that stupid hat, then.

* * *

Dust had slipped out of Aurora before anyone other than Kalyn knew that he was leaving. The last thing he wanted was a send-off — he wasn't quite ready for all of the expectations of a hero to be placed on his shoulders just yet. His bag was loaded with a few days worth of supplies — he'd need to restock somewhere and Fidget was fairly sure that Moonblood merchants were still stationed around Falana. For now, he needed to figure out where it was he was headed.

"We covered a lot of this country the last time," Fidget said when Dust began wondering this out loud. "And it's a big place. I thought you would have some idea as to where to start."

"They could've taken Mom anywhere…" Dust sighed as they headed towards Abadis Forest. "I don't know where to begin."

"Master," the Blade of Ahrah spoke. "I would advise warning other Moonbloods of the Royal Army's movements. Denham Village lies through this forest, and it is likely that they may be targeted if the army are once more on the hunt for Moonbloods." Dust nodded in response.

"You're right," he agreed. "Mom's been to Denham quite a few times on medicine deliveries — the number of Moonbloods there is even higher than Aurora. If there's any place that's at risk from attack it's there." _That is assuming they haven't already been attacked_ , he added in his head but didn't voice out loud. He could remember arriving too late to save Denham Village fifteen years ago and he did not want a repeat of that event.

"So, pitstop at Denham and figure out where to go from there?" Fidget checked.

"Warning the Moonbloods on the way, yes," Dust nodded in confirmation. "Whatever's going on, there's already been too many casualties." He began heading through the trees, one hand gripping the Blade of Ahrah's hilt and another resting on one final parting gift that Kalyn had given him — it was a simple looking knife, but one made of Iced Steel, a metal that was made in the Blackmoor Mountains. It was a knife that had been handed down for generations on her father's side of the family. Although she was more than confident with Sen-Mithrarin's skill with the Blade of Ahrah, Kalyn argued that a dagger may come in handy.

Also, Dust found it almost impossible to argue with his best friend but that was beside the point.

"You remember the way?" Fidget asked. Dust frowned and tried to think — true, Ginger had taken him to Abadis Forest a couple of times but never to Denham. However, he knew he'd been there before when he'd been around fifteen years ago.

"Uh…kind of?" he replied, his voice heavy with uncertainty. Fidget sighed.

"Don't worry, I'll lead the way," she offered. "Keeping an eye on that flying sword for the last fifteen years means I know most of this place like the back of my paw now."

Dust was grateful for Fidget's guidance, although he could vaguely remember her hinting that she didn't know her way around Falana when they'd met before (something about losing her navigation equipment whilst chasing down the Blade of Ahrah or something). Even so, the nimbat _had_ been flying around the country for a decade and a half while he'd been living in Aurora so he really had no choice in the matter.

Heading through Abadis Forest, Dust was struggling to get used to the increasing number of monsters that kept treading on his tail. The imps, beasts…heck, even the Avees…he could handle, but thus far his least favourite had to be the slime monsters and the giants (his small stature gave him an advantage in dodging the latter but the former kept spiking him out of his dodge jumps so he tended to burst Dust Storm on them from a distance). After clearing out what felt like the hundredth wave of enemies that afternoon (in reality it was probably the fourth), Dust found the nearest boulder and slumped into a heap, letting out a sigh of exasperation.

"I hate Slimes…" he grumbled, grateful that his chain-mail tunic had prevented a spike from lodging itself in his shoulder.

"You're handling yourself remarkably well, all things considered, you know?" Fidget said. "Give it a few more fights and you'll be taking down those things in two hits." Dust could only hope. "Look, Denham's not far off now — we'll be there in a few minutes…"

"Shh!" Dust suddenly hissed, holding his hand up to silence the nimbat. His ears twitched and Fidget, trying to hear what had caught her companion's attention, also perked up in attention. The pair could hear the sound of rustling through the forest, and the sound of footsteps. Dust signalled to head up into the trees so Fidget flew upwards while Dust scrambled up the closest pine, hidden in the dense needles.

"What do you think that was?" Dust whispered.

"Want me to scout ahead?" Fidget offered. Dust nodded and kept himself balanced on his own lookout perch as the nimbat shot off a short distance. She came back within minutes with a worried look on her face.

"And?"

"We're…gonna want to find another way around," Fidget grimaced. "There's an army camp in the next clearing." Dust cussed under his breath. This was the last thing he wanted.

"Great. How're we supposed to get to Denham Village now?" he huffed. "We have to warn them that the Royal Guard are on patrol."

"There is another way to Denham Village through Ivydale Glen," the Blade of Ahrah explained. "It will take slightly longer but it will be enable us to safely travel to the village without being spotted."

"Well, Gianni sent me on laundry duty to Ivydale Glen once and I've been there a few times with Mom and Kalyn to get payback poison-ivy for him," Dust grumbled. "I know my way there at the very least."

"That's it," Fidget growled. "Next time I see that Gianni, I'm foreclosing his face."

"What?" Dust frowned in confusion.

"You know? Foreclose…? Never mind."

* * *

 **And so the terrific trio set out on a new adventure. This is the last we'll see of Kalyn for a while but Dust and Co. are going to be meeting plenty of other new characters on their journey. Also, the trademark hat makes a cameo because I could hardly leave it out of this thing.**


	7. Denham Village

**Denham Village**

As much as Dust may have joked around about Fidget getting silenced by the Florns in Ivydale Glen at first, he really regretted it when it came round to needing her projectiles in battle. Although he was gaining confidence in his fighting skills against larger packs of enemies, his favourite way of taking care of things, _especially_ Florns and Slime Creatures, was combining Dust Storm with Fidget's projectiles.

"Fidget, if I make fun of you for being Silenced again, I want you to punch me in the face," he grumbled after the nimbat finally got her voice back and they were heading to the other side of Denham Village, heading past the base of Archer's Pass as they did so.

"What was that?" Fidget asked.

"I said I want you to punch me in the face if I make fun of you being Silenced again," Dust repeated. "Didn't you hear me the first time?"

"Oh, I always hear 'Punch me in the face' when you make fun of me," Fidget muttered. "But it's usually subtext." Dust responded to that by yanking her tail. "YEOWCH!"

"Are you two _trying_ to draw attention to ourselves?" the Blade of Ahrah snapped. "Need I remind you that the Royal Army is out looking for Dust?"

Dust and Fidget mumbled a sheepish apology. Of course the talking sword would once again step in as the voice of reason — it had always been, and probably always will be the cautious overbearing parent type of the trio. Nothing had changed. Dust was about to make a comment under his breath about how Fidget was the one with the big mouth out of the two of them but the appearance of scaffolding and housing across an open field signified their arrival at Denham Village so he decided to save it.

As he neared the village, Dust was relieved to see Moonbloods still walking around town as if everything was perfectly normal. That meant that the army had yet to reach Denham — miraculously, despite taking the long way around, Dust, Fidget and Ahrah had made it there first.

"Okay, we made it to Denham…" Dust noted with uncertainty. "Now what do I do?"

"Say you're here with a warning?" Fidget suggested.

"Well, I would, it's just…" Dust grimaced. "I don't know any of these people. And they don't know me…it's just…a little awkward."

"You said Ginger's been here on medicine deliveries, right?" Fidget remembered. "Ask around about her — say you're her son. Someone's bound to know her…" she trailed off, causing Dust to frown. Something seemed to have caught her attention. "Wait a second…"

"What is it, Fidget?" Dust pressed before following his friend's gaze. It landed on a Moonblood wearing a helmet and light armour. "Do you know that guy?"

"Yeah, that's…" Fidget paused before cupping her paws around her mouth. "Hey! Sanjin!" she called. Dust flushed and tried to hush her but the Moonblood's attention was already caught. Making eye contact with Fidget, he smiled and walked over before Dust could feel too embarrassed about the situation.

"My — now there's a face I haven't seen in a while," he greeted. "I didn't see you there for a moment, Fidget."

"Well, being small tends to mean people don't notice you immediately," Fidget shrugged. "You're not looking too bad, Sanjin. What's it been? Ten years?" Dust stared almost blankly at the Moonblood, Sanjin, and as he did so a vague sense of déja-vu struck him. Was Sanjin someone else that he'd known before?

"It must be," Sanjin chuckled. "What brings you to Denham? Did you find what you were searching for?"

"Ooh, you betcha," Fidget grinned. "Though…not quite the way we were expecting."

"Well, _sorry_ for living life," Dust protested without thinking. Sanjin's eyes fell on him.

"Well, if my eyes don't deceive me," he murmured. "Dust? Is that really you?" Dust pulled a face — he felt really bad for not completely remembering this man.

"Uh…yes?" he replied uncertainly. Luckily, Fidget stepped in to help explain the situation.

"Please excuse him, Sanjin," she grimaced. "He's still got a couple of memory blanks. Apparently being reborn does that to you." Sanjin's face lit up with realisation.

"Reborn, eh?" he noted. "So what Elder Grey-Eyes said was true…"

"Did we know each other before?" Dust asked, not clocking the mention of Elder Grey-Eyes right off the bat.

"Not well," Sanjin replied. "We met briefly when you…that is to say, Sen-Mithrarin…joined the Moonbloods in the final charge against General Gaius." Dust forced himself to think — he could see the fires of the Everdawn Volcanoes and a Moonblood that looked a lot like Sanjin. The memories were slowly coming back to him.

"I…think I remember," he said. "Weren't you the camp engineer?"

"Of sorts," Sanjin confirmed. "It is nice to see that you have some recollection of the events," he noted. "Although I can't say that I ever expected to see you again after what happened," he added with a frown. "Much less in the form of a child."

"Trust me," Fidget cut in. "I didn't either."

"Well, things are coming back in bits and pieces," Dust explained. "Ever since the Blade of Ahrah returned to me, I've been remembering more of who I was…am…before," he said. "The more people I see, the more I remember how I knew them before. It's…" He paused and a grimace crossed his face. "I'm not gonna lie. It's kinda weird, really.'"

"I don't doubt it," Sanjin said. "I won't force you to remember anything else, Dust, if that will help."

"I appreciate that," Dust nodded with a small smile. "Thanks." Sanjin went back to his original question, saying that the party had never said what had brought them to Denham Village. Dust's smile instantly vanished.

"The King's Royal Guard attacked Aurora Village this afternoon," he explained quickly. The sun was rapidly setting over the horizon — Dust and Fidget had spent a long time travelling that day. "They're…Sanjin, they're after Moonbloods."

"What?!" Sanjin spluttered. "But the war ended fifteen years ago! We've known nothing but peace with your Warmblooded kin ever since."

"That's what Mom said…" Dust began but Sanjin cut across him by asking who his mother was.

"You remember Ginger, right?" Fidget asked. Sanjin nodded — every Moonblood knew of the only survivor of Zeplich Village.

"So, she took you in as her son?" he deduced. Dust nodded in confirmation. "I knew that Ginger was now a qualified physician, but she never mentioned you when she was delivering medicine here," he added. Dust remembered his mother having he private conversation with Elder Grey-Eyes just after he'd left for combat training with Corbin that morning. What they'd spoken about, he did not know, but he now had a hunch.

"She must have been trying to protect you." Fidget voiced his very thoughts.

"It looks that way," Dust agreed. "Sanjin…at first the Army were just after the Moonbloods in Aurora. But…it turns out that they were also looking for a white fox."

"You," Sanjin realised. Dust nodded.

"They…they took Mom," he choked out. "They took her because she protected me."

"WHAT?!" Sanjin practically bellowed. His shout caught the attention of passersby so he quickly waved them away. "The Royal Army has Ginger?!"

"Can you quit re-establishing the topic of conversation already and help us out?!" Fidget snapped Dust jolted in surprise — he'd…not been expecting that to come up.

"Wha…? Fidget!" he squeaked in protest, his voice cracking from the surprise. "I never said…!" The nimbat shot an insistent glare at her friend.

"Look, I'm sure you can handle yourself once you get used to your old skills and everything," she sighed. "But until that happens, Dust, we're gonna need all the help we can get with this one."

"But…!" Dust began until the Blade of Ahrah cut him off.

"Fidget is right, Dust," the sword stated. "Charging head first towards the Royal Army all by yourself would be highly unwise, not to mention reckless. Although you undoubtedly have the power to take on an army, you are young and the Royal Guard is far superior to Gaius' forces. You will need help." Dust would have wanted to protest further but he knew when to swallow his own pride. The Blade of Ahrah had a point — he may be Sen-Mithrarin but he was also thirteen. A teenager, despite whatever power he may control, stood little chance alone against a trained army,

"Alright," he relented. "I just don't want to drag too many people into this mess," he added with a grumble.

"Ginger is a friend of mine, Dust, and has been for a long time," Sanjin reassured. "I will do what I can to help."

Dust was about to suggest that they warn the rest of Denham about the Royal Guard posted nearby so that the rest of the Moonbloods could evacuate before they set off to continue the search for Ginger when a shout sounded through the houses.

"Papa!"

"Ah!" Dust yelped, shocked by the sudden shout. His shock made his hair stand on end, making his tail fluff up considerably. Fidget took notice.

"Jeez, when did you get so jumpy?" she smirked. Dust calmed himself down but was unable to prevent a pink haze showing up through his blue-white fur.

"Sorry…" he mumbled meekly in embarrassment. Sanjin, in the meantime, seemed unfazed.

"Yes, Ashelin!" he called back. "I'm over here."

A young Moonblood, not much older than Dust if Fidget had to take a guess, broke through the light crowd and began running over to the group. It was a female Moonblood with grey-green scales and jet black hair that was tied into a plait that fell over her shoulder. Her clothes were simple — a khaki smock and short brown cape — but her eyes were luminous yellow, so bright that Dust would have sworn that they would glow in the dark. She bore a striking resemblance to Sanjin, from the colour of her eyes to the shape of her nose.

"Huff…huff…I'm…not interrupting anything…am I?" she panted. Dust made an awkward side glance to Sanjin.

"Uh…no?" he said. Sanjin smiled warmly.

"Your timing is actually impeccable as always, Ashelin," he said kindly. The Moonblood girl, Ashelin, made eye contact with Dust.

"Who's this, Papa?" she asked. "Friend of yours?"

"Well, I…uh…I'm…" Dust stammered, suddenly unable to find his tongue. Fidget giggled.

"Shy as well?" she snickered. "Dust, you are so sweet as a teenager!" Dust shot a flustered but deadly glare towards the nimbat.

"Fidget!" he hissed. Ashelin paused and blinked in surprise.

"Wait…your name is Dust?" she asked. "Really?"

"Umm…yes?" Dust nodded. "Why?" Ashelin looked back up at her father.

"Papa, is he…?" She trailed off her question for a moment, looking back and forth between Dust and Sanjin. "Could he be…?" Sanjin seemed to remember that he had not yet properly introduced the two teens to each other.

"Oh, where are my manners?" he chuckled. "Dust, I'd like you to meet my daughter, Ashelin," he said, placing a proud hand on Ashelin's shoulder. "Ashelin, this boy is Dust — Sen-Mithrarin reborn."

Dust could have sworn that Ashelin's eyes literally lit up at that remark.

"Sen-Mith…! Oh, my goodness!" she exclaimed, grabbing Dust's hand and shaking it wildly, also bobbing a curtsey while she was at it. "It is such an honour to meet you!"

"Uh… There's…no need for that," Dust insisted, shaking Ashelin's hand back and turning a light shade of pink under his fur. "Really." Ashelin quit the handshaking and curtseying, but was still visibly excited.

"Sorry," she grinned. "It's just…I've heard so much about you!" she exclaimed, bouncing up and down on her toes gleefully. "Papa's told me everything about what you did for the Moonbloods! I think it's amazing!"

Dust was fairly sure that he was going bright pink by now.

"Uh…umm…" he stammered. All it served was to give Fidget more fodder to embarrass him with.

"D'aww!" she sniggered. "Look at Mister Humble over here." Dust's glare deepened but it wasn't exactly having the effect he wanted.

"Fidget, I _swear_ by Elysium…!" he hissed. His temper just served to make the nimbat laugh even harder. Ashelin tried to calm things down.

"I never dreamed I'd ever meet you," she smiled. "This is… Wow," she breathed. "I'm sorry, but it really is an honour." Dust took a deep breath and forced his flush to recede.

"Uh…Ahem!" he coughed. "Pleasure's all mine, Ashelin," he smiled back. The young Moonblood shrugged warm-heartedly.

"Please, 'Ash' is fine," she reassured. "So, what brings you to Denham?" Dust's face fell once more.

"It…it's my mom," he said. "She got captured by the Royal Army for protecting me." Ash's eyes went wide and she clasped her hands over her mouth in horror.

"Oh, no!" she exclaimed. "That's awful!" Sanjin took his opportunity to step back into the conversation.

"Dust and I were just discussing the situation," he said. "I plan to help him, Ashelin, so I may be gone for some time," he explained. "I trust that I can…"

"Ah!" Ash cut across, a nervous grimace crossing her face. "Uh…about that… Papa, they're asking for you at the Watchtowers," she explained. Sanjin looked exasperated.

"What is it now?" he asked.

"The other Watchmen say that they saw a legion of Royal Soldiers camping out in Abadis Forest," Ash replied. "And a carrier pigeon from Aurora just came in. Aurora was attacked…none of the Moonblood Guards survived." Her previous excitement upon meeting Dust gone, Ash looked terrified and distraught.

"That legion must have been the camp we avoided on the way here," Dust deduced. Sanjin nodded.

"I was wondering why you came from the direction of Ivydale Glen," he noted.

"We're trying to stay low-key here," Fidget shrugged.

"You're the best engineer in town," Ash continued, "They said they're going to need you here in case things get ugly."

"Sanjin, I don't want to pull you away from Denham," Dust sighed. "If they need you here, you should stay. And evacuate the Moonbloods here as well."

"I see," Sanjin said. Ash looked confused.

"Why's that?" she asked. "What exactly happened in Aurora?"

"The Royal Guard were after the Moonbloods there," Dust explained. "The message that came with that carrier pigeon? It's telling the truth — none of the Moonblood Guards were spared," he winced regretfully. "The villagers managed to hide. As far as I know, they're all fine but they're planning to evacuate to the Cirromon Caverns," he continued. "I'd get out of town as soon as you can, Ash."

"I would say the same, my dear," Sanjin agreed. Ash looked forlorn and desperate for some other course of action.

"But, Papa…" she began when her father cut her off. His words, however, were not what anyone present were expecting.

"Ashelin, I want you to join Dust on his travels."


	8. The Party Grows

**The Party Grows**

"Ashelin, I want you to join Dust on his travels."

"WHAT?!" Dust spluttered, nearly dropping the Blade of Ahrah as he flailed in shock.

"Huh?" Ash gasped, astonished at the suggestion. Sanjin ignored the outbursts and continued.

"If there is anyone I can trust to keep you safe, it is him," he said. "And I have no doubt that your own abilities will prove to be incredibly beneficial as well." Ash paused in thought and looked at her hands, but Dust wasn't happy.

"Sanjin! I…!" he began to protest but both of the Moonbloods ignored him.

"You really think I'm good enough?" Ash asked her father, her eyes narrowing in wonder. Sanjin smiled at his daughter proudly and placed a hand on her shoulder in reassurance.

"You already surpass many more experienced Moonblood Mages," he comforted. Dust and Fidget looked at Ash in interest — she could wield magic? "Such talent will doubtless help Dust with his cause."

"Whoa!" Fidget exclaimed. "You're a Mage, Ash?" Ash scratched her cheek modestly.

"Well, training to be one," she shrugged. "You must be Fidget?" she guessed. The nimbat puffed out her chest proudly.

"That's me!" she replied. "I'm something of a magic user myself," she added, displaying immense pride in herself. "Maybe we can give each other a few pointers?" Dust went back to being startled and protesting.

"Hey!" he snapped. "I never said…!"

"Dust," the Blade of Ahrah cut in. "We already established that seeking out Ginger without sufficient support will be foolhardy."

"By the Overseers!" Ash cried. "It actually talks!"

"It's not the help that I'm against!" Dust protested. "It's just…!"

"I promise I won't get in your way, Dust!" Ash interrupted. "I'd be honoured to accompany you!" Dust was fumbling for an excuse — the last thing he wanted was for someone so young to get themselves tangled up in this.

"But you're… You're only a teenager!" he said. Well, he guessed that Ash wasn't much older than himself. Fidget shot him a look.

"Look who's talking!" she pointed out. "You're, like, thirteen!"

"Shut up, Fidget," Dust pouted. "That's not the point."

"I can understand if my daughter's age concerns you, Dust," Sanjin sighed. "I can't say that I would choose this option if we had any other choice, but I get the feeling that Ashelin will be safer with you than she will be here if the Royal Army is on the hunt for our kind once again." Dust grumbled something under his breath. Just because he was Sen-Mithrarin it wasn't a guarantee of safety. If anything, it was more of a guarantee that your exposure to danger would increase by about tenfold. Ash looked deep in thought next to them for a few moments before speaking again.

"What about Kim?" she suggested. Dust frowned — who? Sanjin looked apprehensive. "He's technically an adult," Ash pointed out. "He could keep an eye on the both of us."

"Who's Kim?" Dust asked.

"Friend of mine," Ash replied, "Kind of an older brother to me. He's also the best gunslinger around so he'd be handy to have in a pinch."

"How good are we talking here?" Fidget asked.

"He can shoot an apple off a tree from a hundred feet away," Ash replied with a confident smirk. Fidget perked up.

"Now _that_ sounds useful!" she grinned. Dust sighed and pinched his eyebrows together.

"Do you always think with your stomach?" he groaned.

"Hey!" Fidget snapped in protest. Sanjin paused in thought. He still looked reluctant to go along with the plan.

"Hmm," he sighed. "I won't disagree to Kim accompanying you," he finally said. "But I will warn you, Dust — he can be temperamental," he winced. "I am not sure how much he will warm to you." Dust frowned and asked why. "Kim was born three years before Sen-Mithrarin first came into existence," Sanjin explained. "His entire family was wiped out by Gaius' forces when he was an infant. I'm sorry to say that despite what you did for our people, he has always been bitter that Sen-Mithrarin did not come in time to save his family."

"I…I see," Dust said quietly. So even more lives had been lost because he hadn't come in time? And this time, it was a significant amount of time as well. How many people disliked him because he'd not been around to save them and their loved ones? Had Ginger once hated him? Now that he thought about it, he could see his first meeting with the woman he had called 'Mom' for the past thirteen years. It was strange seeing her so young, only a few years older than he was now. She'd been cold towards him, but he couldn't think of nor remember why.

"It's not something Dust could have helped!" Fidget protested in Dust's stead.

"I know," Sanjin sighed. "But it is something that you must bear in mind when he talks to you," he insisted. "We all want someone to blame for wrongs that have happened to us, and unfortunately, Kim blames Sen-Mithrarin for the loss of his family." Ash placed a comforting hand on Dust's shoulder and offered a small smile of reassurance.

"Don't worry about Kim, Dust," she said. "He'll listen to me. I'll talk to him if he gives you any trouble."

"Don't worry, Ash," Dust replied. "Honestly, I blame myself for what happened in Aurora…"

"Oh, boy," Fidget groaned. "Here we go again. How many times are we going to have to ram it through your skull that it wasn't your fault?"

"I could have saved those Moonblood Guards, Fidget!" Dust nearly shouted. "They're all gone because I didn't get back in time."

"Dust, they gave their lives protecting their home," Ahrah said calmly. "And they may have done so long before you even ran for the Glade. Unfortunately, you cannot save every life."

"And why?!" Dust demanded. "If I'm supposed to be Falana's hero reborn, why can't I save everyone? Isn't that what I'm _supposed_ to do?"

"Dust, stop it!" Fidget cried. "We've been through this! I don't care if you don't remember, but these things happen! I don't like it anymore than you…when we do everything right and people still die!"

"It's just…not fair…" Dust growled softly.

"Life very often isn't, and that is what makes it cruel sometimes," Ahrah explained.

"As I said, Dust," Sanjin stepped in. "We want people to blame for life's cruelty. What defines us is whether we chose to blame others who are not at fault simply because it was out of their capabilities to help; or whether we recognise where the blame truly lies. Sometimes it is with ourselves, other times it is with others."

"You may be Sen-Mithrarin, Dust," Ahrah continued. "But you are still a mortal being. You were born of the Life Thread itself, but you have a soul like any other. It is your spirit that defines you as the hero destined to save this land, but you still have limitations." Dust calmed down and nodded in understanding. "There was nothing you could have done to save those Guards, but you can make sure that their sacrifices were not in vain."

"I… I understand," Dust murmured. "But… I still don't blame Kim for feeling the way he does about me, whatever that may be." Fidget sagged and smacked a paw to her forehead.

"Seriously, Dust," she groaned. "You are _way_ too self-sacrificially righteous for your own good."

"Yes, as much I as consider you incredibly noble…" Ash winced. "Even I think that's almost at the point of overdoing it."

"One of my flaws," Dust sighed. "But we should get moving soon. I…can't exactly let the Royal Guard find me." Ash nodded and beckoned the group to follow her — if they were going to leave Denham soon then they would need to find this Kim and quickly.

* * *

"Kim!" Ash called as they entered the main housing district of Denham Village. Sanjin had left the two kids to inform the other Moonblood Watchmen of the impending situation they faced and in turn, many Moonbloods had already begun evacuations as Dust passed on the warning he had brought with him. "Kim, you around?"

"Yeah! Be right with you, Ash!" a voice sounded. Dust gulped nervously — he wasn't sure how this meeting would go down. Sensing her friend's apprehension, Fidget rested on his head as reassurance that she was there. Ash also shot a comforting glance at the boy, as if to promise that it would all be okay.

Moments later, a young Moonblood man walked out of a house, a sack of belongings slung over his shoulder. Unlike Ash's head of jet-black hair, his was fair, although his eyes were still bright yellow against his grey scaled skin. He was lean, but built up enough that Dust was sure that he would lose against him in a wrestling match. Not that he wanted to get into one with this guy.

"Just got the news, Ash," Kim said, not noticing Dust and Fidget at first. "I take it your dad told you to evacuate?"

"Uh, yes and no," Ash replied. "Yes to the fact that I'm skipping town but no to the evacuation thing."

"How come?" Kim frowned. "Where're you off to?" Dust shuffled awkwardly behind Ash and Kim's attention finally went to him. "Who's your friend?"

"Oh, this is Dust," Ash introduced. "He just came from Aurora. I'm accompanying him on his travels — we were wondering if you would care to join us?"

"Dust, huh?" Kim noted blankly. Dust avoided eye contact.

"You…must be Kim?" he said, doing his best not to mumble.

"That would be me," Kim replied bluntly, taking in the young Warmblood's appearance. White with shimmers of blue? Silver hair? It couldn't be a coincidence… "Is Dust your full name?" Ash caught the tone in her friend's voice as Dust winced.

"Kim," she cut in warningly. "There's no need for that."

"I'm just asking the kid a question," Kim huffed shortly. "It's just that it's not everyday you see a white fox Warmblood with silver hair walking around. Especially when the last one seen died in Everdawn Basin."

"Ngh!" Dust suddenly winced, clutching a hand to his forehead. Fidget flew down to his eye level and placed a concerned paw on his hand.

"You okay, there?" she asked worriedly.

"I"m fine," Dust grunted. "Saw something I didn't really want to, that's all." Fidget knew he must have just remembered the battle against Gaius in Everdawn. She shot a distasteful glare at Kim as her friend recovered.

"Look, we know how you feel about him," she snapped defensively. "But that doesn't mean you should…!"

"So he _is_ Sen-Mithrarin, then," Kim interrupted. "Not what I was expecting."

"Kim! Enough!" Ash snapped angrily. "Dust has been through enough today without your attitude."

"Ash, it's okay," Dust sighed, clutching the Blade of Ahrah close as he made eye contact with Kim who stood at least a full head taller than him. "Listen, Kim…I know how you feel about me…and I understand."

"Do you now?" Kim half-growled.

"There's…been a lot of people I haven't been able to save," Dust continued, the pain in his face evident as he remembered the events of what had happened earlier that afternoon. "And it's bad enough knowing I didn't move fast enough to help them…but knowing that other lives were lost before I was around last time…" He trailed off, the guilt still causing him to choke on his own words. "I honestly wish I had been around sooner."

"But it's not his fault that he wasn't!" Fidget cut in, shooting a reproachful glance at her friend before resuming her glaring at Kim who had relaxed a little but still hadn't lost all of the distaste in his eyes. "We've been trying to get that into his head all afternoon and we don't need people piling more blame on him!"

"I never said I blame the kid specifically," Kim said shortly. "But my family are gone because the hero supposed to save us in our hour of need didn't show up."

"Well, he did in the end, Kim," Ash snapped. "You're not the only person who lost everything. We can't blame Dust for things that were out of his control."

"I understand if you feel that way, Kim," Dust repeated. "And I won't try to convince you otherwise."

"STOP BEING SO SELFLESS, YOU MORON!" Fidget squeaked in frustration. Dust ignored her.

"I only just remembered who I was," he continued. "And…I realised this afternoon that I left the job unfinished last time. I want to make sure I don't do the same thing again," he said, once more making eye contact with the young man. "Ash is…helping me do this, as much I don't really want her to get dragged into this mess."

"I'm more than honoured to help you, Dust," Ash reassured. "You can count on me for this." Kim's face had softened significantly.

"You're planning to stop this for good?" he asked. "You're taking the fight to the King?"

"If that's where this whole thing came from, then yes," Dust confirmed. He didn't particularly want to go against the Royal Family itself but if it meant the safety of the citizens of Falana, both Warm and Moonblood, he knew that he may have little choice in the matter.

"I suggested that you came too," Ash explained. "Your marksmanship could really come in handy."

"Also, Ash suggested having an adult on the team," Fidget added huffily, still not overly happy with the way this man was treating her friend. "To keep an eye on the kids." Kim closed his eyes as if in thought.

"I've always said that I've wanted to put those who killed my family to rights," he admitted. The Blade of Ahrah chose that moment to speak again.

"The path of revenge is a dark one, Kim," it said. "I would advise against traveling with us if that is your motive." Kim's reaction to the talking sword was a lot calmer than Ash's had been earlier.

"In that case, it won't be," he smiled. "I'll join you…but only because it will end the torment that my people have suffered at the hands of the King and his followers," he said firmly. "And if you…" he continued, looking pointedly at Dust. "…are willing to make up for the lives you failed to save, then I will put my family's deaths behind me and help you in your cause."

"It. Was. Not. His. FAULT!" Fidget snapped but Dust looked significantly more relaxed.

"Thank you, Kim," he smiled, holding out a hand for the young man to shake. "I won't let you down again."

"It's not me you've got to not let down, Kid," Kim said, shaking the offered hand. "You've got a kingdom resting on your shoulders."

"Thanks for the reminder…" Dust mumbled.

"Hopefully we can make that burden a little lighter," Kim smiled, a little more warmly than before. It seemed to put Dust at ease although Ash and Fidget were still eyeing Kim with irritated glares. "So what's the goal here? Aside from the obvious."

"I think we should make a move first," Dust suggested. "I'll tell you more on the way."

"Where do we even go from here, anyway?" Fidget asked. "We're not exactly going about this with a game plan, are we?"

"Did we have one last time?" Dust asked, although it wasn't sarcastic. He sounded genuinely curious.

"Uh…no, that was also very much go-with-the-flow," Fidget admitted. Ash thought for a moment before speaking again.

"How about we talk to the Elder?" she suggested. "He might have an idea as to what's going on." Dust said that he hadn't seen Elder Grey-Eyes when he'd returned to Aurora and assumed that he'd already left following whatever business he'd had with Mayor Bram. "Well, from what I last heard, he now lives in the New Zeplich settlement in the Blackmoor Mountains," Ash said. "If we move in that direction we might meet him on the way or catch him there."

"It's a start, I suppose," Kim nodded. "Give me two minutes — I'll be right back."

He vanished back into his house, leaving the two teens and the nimbat waiting around. Ash shot an apologetic glance at Dust.

"Dust, I am really sorry about Kim's attitude," she winced. "He seems to have softened, but you shouldn't have had to put up with that."

"Yeah, he's lucky I didn't bite his face off there and then," Fidget grumbled. "Of all the little…!"

"Ash, Fidget, please," Dust sighed. "I'm not going to force him to change his mind about things. He's not so bad, anyway."

"Again, you are way too nice for your own good sometimes," Fidget sighed just as Kim came back out of the house. This time, he had two holsters strapped to his pelt with pistols inside them.

"Alright, I'm set," he said. He glanced at Ash to see that she had a tome tucked under her arm. "I see you're good to go."

"When am I not?" Ash shrugged. Fidget glanced between the two Moonbloods.

"Care giving us some demos of what you can do?" she asked. "I mean, Dust and I have been a team for a while and we kinda know how to work off each other so it'd be nice to know what additions we're getting."

"I agree," Dust nodded. "Do you mind showing us?"

"Let's head towards Roan Pass, first," Kim suggested. "It might not be the best idea for Ash to show off while we're still in the village."

"Hey, that was _one_ time, Kim!" Ash protested. Both Dust and Fidget asked what had only happened one time but neither Kim nor Ash offered any details on the matter.

As they headed back towards the exit of the village, passing by numerous evacuating Moonbloods and their Warmblood neighbours, Dust and Fidget couldn't help but marvel at how their group had grown. Dust was still getting used to his task, and his memories were still merely trickling back one by one, piece by piece, but he could still only think of himself fighting alongside his nimbat companion.

Having two extra people in the party would take some getting used to, but Dust trusted Ahrah in its judgement that they would both prove a great help to him.

There was, however, the last thing that Sanjin had said to him before they'd left. Now, Dust's memories of the man were vague to say the least, but as far as he could see he'd known Sanjin to be an amicable person.

It's just that his insistence that Ash did not come to any harm whatsoever on their travels had scared Dust a little.

* * *

 **Double update today because I forgot to upload a chapter on Wednesday! Sorry, guys.**


	9. The Mantle of a Hero

**The Mantle of a Hero**

Upon moving back through Ivydale Glen and bypassing the Sorrowing Meadows (much to Fidget's relief), Dust and his now doubled-in-size party had come to a rest in Roan Pass, right at the foot of the Blackmoor Mountains. A campfire had been set up and Fidget had quickly busied herself with scoffing as many roasted marshmallows as she could, much to Dust's chagrin.

"You're gonna get too heavy to fly, you know," he commented as Fidget ate her tenth marshmallow in five minutes.

"Oh, shut up and let me enjoy this," Fidget bit back, her words slightly muffled due to her jaw starting to get glued together. Ash giggled from her perch on a nearby fallen tree as she read through the tome she had brought with her.

"No problem with indulging yourself every now and then," she smiled. Dust pouted before Ahrah spoke up.

"If I recall correctly, Fidget would do either this or fall asleep every time Dust opened up the map during our last journey together," it stated simply. Dust shot a glare at Fidget who mumbled something in protest.

"You three sound like you've got more history than this kid's age would suggest," Kim commented from his spot by the fire. Ash resumed her reproachful glares at her friend, making sure that he stayed in line around Dust but Dust himself merely shrugged.

"I guess," he replied. "I'm still trying to remember it all."

"Again…" Fidget mumbled, having unstuck her jaws. Kim and Ash both frowned.

"You had memory issues last time as well?" Ash asked. Dust grimaced.

"I remember not remembering anything when I first met Fidget," he admitted. "The Blade of Ahrah told me that my name was Dust, but even then I don't think I remembered that name."

"Did you get your memories back in the end, Kid?" Kim added. Dust scrunched his face up, trying to remember, but this time he was met with nothing but thick fog in his memory that only swirled dizzyingly when he tried to search for the answers.

"If I did, I don't remember now," he sighed.

"Oh, come on!" Fidget groaned. "After all that and it's taken another knock?"

"I guess the Elder might have some answers," Ash shrugged. "We can ask him when we reach New Zeplich." Dust nodded in agreement — Elder Grey-Eyes had known him before, he was starting to remember. He _had_ to have answers.

"You never answered my question back in Denham," Kim said, poking a log. "Aside from finishing what you started fifteen years ago, why are you doing this?" he asked. "If you only just started remembering what you are today then you're already pretty far in your journey."

"Kim, it's _who_ , not _what_!" Ash snapped reproachfully.

"I'm just asking a question," Kim muttered back. Dust flinched but tried not to let the comment get to him.

"It's…my mom," he replied. "She's a Moonblood sympathiser…the last survivor of Zeplich Village."

"Ginger?" Kim asked. He'd seen that woman plenty of times around Denham now that she worked as a physician. Her story was famous among the Moonblood people. "She's your mother?"

"She took me in when she found me as a baby…when I was reborn, I guess," Dust explained. "Anyway, the Royal Army attacked Aurora Village and she stood up to the Captain. When they saw me she told me to run…by the time I got back they'd taken her."

"So you're hoping to rescue her?" Kim realised. Dust nodded. "I see." Ash was glaring at him warningly. "Ginger's a good person. A lot of Moonbloods talk about how her family defended our kind during the war."

"Yeah," Dust answered softly. "She's told me about them a few times. She doesn't like to talk about what happened to them though."

"I don't blame her," Kim sighed. "She didn't deserve to suffer such a tragedy, but life seems to dish out cruelty to the people with good hearts."

"Well, 'life' needs to rethink its priorities, 'cos that's just plain unfair," Fidget grumbled.

"She's done so much for me," Dust continued. "I…I have to help her. At first, I guess what I wanted to do was just rescue her and go home, but now I know that won't help in the long run."

"Well, then, you're a smarter kid than I gave you credit for."

"KIM!"

Kim ignored Ash and continued to speak to Dust.

"Listen, I'll help you save Ginger," he promised. "But if you turn back on what you just said and try to go home, then, trust me, I will be right there to drag you back into the fray and keep you there until you end this mess," he said with a warning tone to his voice. Fidget shot upright.

"Hey! Ease off, already! You big bully!" she snarled. Dust had shrunk slightly. "Dust may be Sen-Mithrarin but he's still a kid! Quit piling the pressure — you're not helping!"

"It's okay, Fidget…really…" Dust protested weakly.

"No, it's _not_ okay and _you_ need to ease off the heroic selflessness," Fidget snapped. Ash decided now would be a good time to change the topic of conversation before things got violent.

"What exactly did Ginger tell you about her family, Dust?" she asked. "Papa's good friends with her, so I've seen her a few times. I just…don't know much about her." Dust was incredibly grateful for the change in conversation.

"Well, they lived in the mountains for nearly her whole life," he remembered. "Although I think they had a cottage in some kind of plain before then. She doesn't remember that very much, though."

"Was it just her and her parents?" Ash asked. Dust shook his head.

"No, she had a brother, I think," he said. "She's never told me his name, though. He…he died, not long before Sen…I mean, I first came into the world," he explained. "And she believes it's not a good idea to speak the names of the dead…" Fidget frowned and shot a glance at the Blade of Ahrah, who flashed a few times but otherwise remained silent.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Ash murmured. The conversation was once again turning dark so Dust motioned his head towards the tome in the young Moonblood's lap.

"That your magic book?" he asked. Ash instantly perked up.

"Well, it's not technically mine," she shrugged. "It used to belong to my grandparents…not that I ever knew them…but I've been using it to study magic," she explained. "Trying to bring back the culture of our people and help our Warmblood neighbours, really."

"Sanjin said you already surpass a lot of experienced Mages," Dust smiled. "What exactly can you do? Aside from the fire thing," he added quickly, remembering how Ash had started their campfire earlier, saving them a lot of trouble. "Which, by the way, thank you for that." Ash cringed.

"I can do a lot of elemental stuff," she said modestly. "Electricity's my personal favourite."

"Now _that's_ a tricky one to pull off! Took me a fight with a crazed deity to learn that technique," Fidget exclaimed. "Combine that with Dust Storm and monsters won't stand a chance," she added, shooting a grin at Dust.

"Aren't you worried you'll have competition, Fidget?" the boy snickered. Fidget stuck her tongue out at him in response. Dust then turned to face Kim again. "Ash said you're a pretty good shot," he said. Kim smirked.

"Well, I don't like to brag," he shrugged. Fidget eyed him suspiciously — he still wasn't in her good books after the way he'd acted towards Dust.

"Supposedly you can shoot an apple off a tree from a hundred yards," she remembered. Kim rolled his eyes.

"That was one time and a total fluke, Ash," he huffed in protest. Ash shrugged and went back to her reading. "But I can still give you an idea, even if it's dark." Dust looked interested so Kim stood up and brushed himself down before removing one of his pistols from its holster. Now, Dust wasn't exactly familiar with this kind of weaponry — most of the guards in Aurora preferred blades, spears and bows — but even he could tell that it wasn't like other firearms.

"Did you make that yourself, Kim?" he asked in genuine awe, his eyes shining like the teenager he still was despite everything.

"Sure did," Kim said, twirling the pistol proudly. "Now, watch carefully because I'm not wasting ammunition on demonstrations." He cocked the pistol and held it out, aiming at the trees nearby. Fidget and Dust both squinted — they could barely see anything in the shadows even with the light of the fire. Ash kept reading as Kim fired a single shot, sending a round whizzing through the air. A thud sounded as something fell off a tree. "Be right back."

"How'd he shoot at something in the dark?!" Fidget hissed in Dust's ear. Dust didn't get time to reply as Kim walked back over, an apple in his hand that had a clean cut across the stalk. "How far was that one?" Fidget asked, trying to hide how impressed she was.

"Forty yards?" Kim shrugged. "Can't aim much further than that in the dark." He tossed the apple to Dust who fumbled with it before settling down. "Now get some sleep. I'll take the watch."

"Okay, the guy's getting back into my good books," Fidget mumbled as she took the apple while Dust began to settle down to sleep. Dust coughed up a small laugh — there Fidget went again, trusting based on how satisfied her stomach was. Not that he remembered her doing so before…although now he thought about it, hadn't there been an incident with Reed's box? He shook it off for the time being and tried getting some rest, although doing so was difficult as the events of the day kept running through his head on repeat.

The day had started normally enough. He'd pranked his mother, gotten on with his morning chores, and had a combat training session with Corbin after breakfast. After his pre-lunch time chores had been complete, he'd had a picnic with Kalyn in their usual spot atop the valley where Aurora was located. After that, everything had gone downhill.

Now he was on a journey to find his mother and put an end to the slaughter of those he called friends and neighbours…a job he'd left unfinished fifteen years ago…before he'd even been born…

Needless to say, it took a long time for Dust to finally drift off to sleep, and even then his dreams were plagued with visions that felt so familiar and yet so foreign, some as clear as spring water and others as cloudy as ice.

* * *

Dust awoke to the sound of birdsong and a wayward rabbit jumping onto his head. Grumbling to himself, he began to sit up only to feel a weight on his chest. Lifting his head up as much as he could, he pulled a face when he saw Fidget snoring on his chest.

"Geroff, Fidget…" he grumbled sleepily, heaving himself into a sitting position. The movement sent Fidget tumbling into his lap with a startled shriek.

"Hey!" she squeaked. "What gives?"

"I've already had a rabbit use my head as a perch," Dust muttered, sleep still keeping his eyes from opening fully. "I don't fancy being used as a mattress as well."

"But it's comfy…" Fidget moaned before Dust pulled his blanket upwards and sent her tumbling off his lap. "HEY!"

"Morning, Dust!" Ash called cheerily from the fire, which was still burning (thank Elysium) and now had a pot boiling over it. "Sleep well?"

"Not really…" Dust replied with a yawn and a stretch to emphasise his point. "You?"

"As well as I could considering the circumstances," Ash replied, pouring a mug of something before offering it to Dust. "Tea?" Dust accepted it and began to drink — the night had been cold, despite the campfire, and the tea was more than welcome. It tasted bitter, and Dust quickly recognised it as a herbal tea that counteracted fatigue. Ginger had given it to him on occasion when he'd been feeling too weary to get on with his day (no sickness, just a case of having stayed up too late practising his combat techniques).

"Where's Kim?" Fidget asked once she'd righted herself and began stretching her wings.

"Scouting the area up ahead," Ash answered. "We want the clearest path to New Zeplich possible." Dust could accept that. The last thing any of them wanted was to run into the Royal Army.

"Do you need help packing up the camp?" Dust offered. Ash made to protest against it but Dust insisted — this was _his_ quest, after all, and although he was the youngest of the group (Ash being two years older than him), Overseers be damned if he wasn't going to pull his weight around here, and that didn't count carrying the Blade of Ahrah around everywhere (the thing was nearly the same size as Dust! Cut him a break).

Kim returned just as the two teens (and Fidget, she was doing her best) had gotten the camp packed up.

"Nice timing," he commented. "Looks like the path to the mountains is clear — we shouldn't run into any soldiers."

"Phew…" Dust heaved a sigh of relief. "There aren't any places with Moonblood villagers around we should warn about the Royal Guard?" he added, his brow knitting together in concern.

"Luckily, Denham and Aurora are the only villages south of the mountains," Kim replied. "New Zeplich is the only new settlement to have been built since the original campaigns ended." Dust let out a small sigh of relief. With any luck, the Moonbloods in this area of Falana would have all found a place to hide by now.

"You know, that's something I've never quite understood," Fidget said. "I've been following the Blade of Ahrah around Falana for a decade and a half and this country's huge. But I've only seen maybe three or four villages around not including the capital city. Which, might I add, is the _only_ city in this entire kingdom!"

"You can blame the war for that," Kim said bitterly. Dust glanced at Ash, almost half expecting her to make a comment but she remained silent. It seemed that this time she was in agreement with her friend.

"Falana used to be a far more prosperous place than the kingdom we know today," Ahrah spoke as it hovered by Dust's side. "It is a small land, compared to other kingdoms across the seas, but there used to be far more settlements than there are now. If I recall correctly, there used to be a village to the west of the Glade, although it appears it and the paths leading there were destroyed by the time you first awoke, Dust."

"How do you know all this, Ahrah?" Dust asked.

"I have existed for a long time, Dust," Ahrah replied. "Fidget's clan guarded me and kept me hidden from mortal eyes for two centuries, but before then I was wielded by Elder Grey-Eyes when he was an Elysian Warrior himself."

"Elder Grey…!" Dust spluttered. "Holy cow! Exactly how old _is_ he?!"

"Wouldn't we all like to know?" Fidget remarked dryly.

"Moonbloods live for a long time," Ash shrugged. Fidget muttered that she'd gathered that. "But even I'll admit that Elder Grey-Eyes has still lived a lot longer than most." She held her magic tome in her hands and flipped a few of the pages. Finding one she seemed satisfied with, she gathered the camping equipment into a glowing orb of light which proceeded to shrink in size before vanishing entirely, the equipment with it. Dust and Fidget's jaws fell to the floor.

"Did you just…?!" Dust gaped.

"Did you just put all of our stuff in a pocket dimension?" Fidget squeaked. Ash seemed so nonchalant about the whole thing.

"We won't be weighed down this way," she shrugged. Dust took that as an acceptable answer, although Fidget had to wonder if Dust had once had a similar spell on his inventory — there was no way he was able to carry that much food, items and blueprints around with him…not to mention six sheep at one point…without being severely weighed down.

"Let's get moving," Kim instructed. "I want to get at least half way up these mountains before lunch."

* * *

"Wow!" Ash grinned as the group fought their way past what Dust swore was the tenth wolf pack that morning alone. Ash was proving more than capable of handling her own with her electrical magic attacks, Kim was as good a shot as he'd been made out to be, and Dust and Fidget were getting the hang of things now that they'd been fighting as a team for about a day now. Dust was still knackered and the cold wasn't helping. "We make a good team!"

"S-s-s-s-sure…" Dust shivered, pulling his cloak tighter around him. How were the Moonbloods coping when they were reptiles? Cold-blooded? Weren't they supposed to prefer warmer temperatures?

"Try not to turn into an popsicle, Kid," Kim huffed as he double checked his ammo stores. "We've got a way to go yet."

"How are you two not frozen?!" Dust squeaked, his voice cracking again. Ash winced and opened up her book again.

"Oh! Sorry, Dust!" she grimaced. She whispered a few words of an incantation and Dust shuddered as a warm wave passed through him. His shivering stopped.

"Magic, huh?" he noted dryly. She couldn't have done that earlier? Ash looked incredibly apologetic when he voiced this out loud.

"I just thought Warmbloods could stand colder temperatures better than we could…" she mumbled regretfully. "Sorry…"

"C'mon, Dust," Fidget sniffed. "It's not all _that_ bad!"

"How your wings haven't frozen stiff, I don't understand," Dust grumbled.

"Please!" Fidget laughed. She sounded delirious. "We nimbats fly higher than the tallest mountains! We soar above the fluffiest clouds…!" Dust remembered the nimbat once saying that she was actually afraid of heights. How that even worked when she flew _everywhere_ he still didn't understand.

"Dust, I highly suggest we get moving and try to reach New Zeplich before Fidget goes completely mad," Ahrah sighed. Dust agreed — he was starting to get vague recollections of Fidget going slightly mad from cold and altitude sickness before so he was keen to get to New Zeplich as quick as possible. In the meantime, he offered the nimbat a spot under his vest and cloak — if anything, she served as a nice hot-water bottle for his back.

As they trekked further through the mountains, Dust took a moment to turn back towards the forests of home. He could see the small settlement at the bottom of the valley that was Aurora. He could see the wood that was the Glade. He could see Abadis Forest and the famed statues of Archers' Pass, which he'd never seen before now. This was the world he'd once saved…

"It's seems so much bigger than I remember…" he murmured to himself. Ash and Kim caught onto the fact that the young boy had come to a halt and headed back to stand by him.

"Well, you're smaller," Fidget muttered, poking her head up through the back of Dust's vest. He retaliated by ruffling her head, to which she made a small squeak of protest.

"But it _is_ beautiful," Ash smiled. "Right?" Dust nodded, not saying much in response. "You okay?"

"It's just…" Dust paused for a moment, struggling to voice how he felt. "I'm remembering bits and pieces, and so much has just been coming into my head over the last twenty-four hours." It was a guess. They'd barely stopped for lunch half an hour ago. "None of it should make sense…none of it should even be possible…but it is."

"Life of a hero's not all it's cut out to be, huh, Kid?" Kim noted. Dust shrank a little.

"Until yesterday I idolised Sen-Mithrarin," he said quietly. "Knowing that I _am_ him…that this world is the one I have to save…somehow…" He couldn't get his words out and tensed, his fist clenching around the hilt of Ahrah. "I guess I can see why Mom never told me." Fidget nestled her head in the crook of his neck in comfort, while Ash and Kim took immediate note of the young boy's stress. Ash took Dust's hand and gently squeezed it, while Kim placed an almost parental hand on his shoulder.

"You're not doing this alone," Ash comforted. "We're going to fix this together."

"You guys didn't even have to get yourselves involved in this…" Dust muttered.

"Well, as far as Sanjin's concerned we're safer around you than at home," Kim shrugged. "Besides, we're Moonbloods. As far as the king of this country's concerned, we've been involved for a while."

"I don't even know if it's safe to be around me at all!" Dust protested. "The Royal Army's hunting me down because of…what happened…"

"So? They're hunting Moonbloods as well," Kim pointed out.

"But even when I'm around not everyone gets saved!" Dust protested. A hand shot to his forehead and he crumpled to his knees — Fidget wriggled out of his vest and quickly scrambled onto his lap so that she had a visual of his face. The poor boy looked pained.

"Dust…not this again…" she whispered, her own eyes starting to well up.

"So many times…" Dust almost sobbed as Ash knelt down beside him. "I couldn't…I wasn't…"

"What do you remember?" Kim said bluntly, correctly guessing what was going on.

"All of them…" Dust replied quietly. "Denham Village…the Mudpot villager…the Moonblood scout…"

"Dust, we have been through this," Ahrah spoke patiently. "You cannot dwell on what has passed."

"But what if I'm not fast enough to help Mom?" Dust snapped. "I was a grownup back then and I still couldn't save everyone… I'm thirteen now!"

"And that's supposed to make a difference, how?" Ash said calmly. "You've got far more help now than you did back then, Dust."

"What? I wasn't help enough?" Fidget asked sarcastically. The tone broke the smallest of smiles on Dust's face.

"You know I couldn't have done any of it without you, Fidget," he pointed out softly. The remark made Fidget's eyes shine with pride.

"Ash is right, Kid," Kim agreed, patting the boy gently on the back. Seeing the boy so wracked with a guilt for events that happened to him in a past life…it was making Kim realise that he'd been wrong to treat him in such a way. As far as he was concerned, this was a new Dust — a new Sen-Mithrarin — merely with the memories of the one before. "Life's given you another chance here," he pointed out. "Maybe with the same burden but this time you're not going to shoulder it alone." Ash smiled proudly at Kim and Dust looked at them both with a thankful smile crossing his face.

"We're going to save Ginger," Fidget promised. "And we're going to save this country in the process. Just see if we don't."

Dust hugged Fidget close and felt a weight lift off his chest as he felt a pair of arms wrap around his shoulders and a hand pat his back. They were right. They were all right. He wasn't on his own in this. He had help. This was a new life for Sen-Mithrarin, and a new journey. A journey that he was making with more than a Nimbat Guardian and a talking sword. He was making this with friends…companions.

The mantle of a hero was, after all, too much for a thirteen-year-old boy to carry alone.


	10. New Zeplich

**New Zeplich**

With Fidget now on the brink of becoming delusional (luckily her wittering had provided the group enough entertainment to take Dust's mind off everything else), Dust and his group had now reached the highest peaks of the Blackmoor Mountains. Dust, having never been up so high before, was grateful for Ash's adaptation magic preventing him from getting altitude sickness. He wasn't going to lie, though — all that walking combined with fighting wolves, Frites, and other mountain-dwelling monsters had made him a tad light headed and food was scarce up here.

"Please tell me we're getting close," he muttered as they entered yet another cave to shelter from a brief flurry of snow.

"We can't be much further now," Ash guessed. "How's Fidget holding up?" Dust peeked over his shoulder at the shivering nimbat.

"I'm… _Achoo!_ … fine…" Fidget mumbled.

"Anything _but_ fine," Dust sighed. To her credit, Ash _had_ tried her magic on the nimbat earlier but for some reason there had been no effect. The group, as well as Ahrah, theorised that nimbats had a natural resistance to magic given their gifts of wielding it. Whatever it was, Fidget was still coming down with something and Dust, even with his limited medical knowledge that his mother had taught him, knew that the best thing to do was get to New Zeplich as soon as humanely possible.

"I saw the village just up ahead," Kim informed. "We'll wait for this flurry to pass then head forward. We'll be there in less than ten." Dust muttered a thank-you to the Overseers of Elysium. As much as Fidget was serving him well as a decent hot-water bottle, she needed to get someplace a lot warmer than his freaking vest. The chain-mail he had on underneath could _not_ be comfortable or warm, either.

Once the flurry had ended, the group made a beeline for the houses that Kim had spotted. Dust made a mental note to buy some decent snow gear as soon as he found a shop that sold it (they had yet to bump into a single merchant, strangely enough) so that Ash didn't have to use too much magic keeping the party warm. Thankfully, the snow wasn't too deep at this time of year, even in the highest peaks of the mountains, so they made it to the village in just over five minutes.

"Made it…" Dust sighed with relief, tugging his cloak around his shoulders. Kim had gone on ahead for a moment and was talking with another Moonblood a short distance away. Ash took the opportunity to check on Fidget.

"You okay there, Fidget?" she asked.

" _Achoo!_ Just peachy…" Fidget sniffled. Dust rolled his eyes. Kim walked back over at that point.

"Sounds like the Elder only got back this morning," he said. "We timed this pretty well."

"Well, he sure moves fast for someone who's way over two hundred years old," Dust remarked. "Where's he at?"

"His house is in the centre of the village," Kim replied. Fidget sneezed again. "We should…probably get there before your friend catches her death of cold." Fidget rambled some nonsense so the group began heading directly for the centre of town.

New Zeplich was barely a hamlet, as villages go. It was easy to tell that it had not been around for a long time (as Dust found out, the village itself was less than ten years old). What was there, however, was sturdy. The houses were built to keep out the cold and looked well defended against avalanches. There were no Warmbloods, as far as Dust could see, but no doubt with magic like Ash's the Moonbloods were fine.

Soon enough, the group reached a house in the very centre of town, having been directed by the other Moonblood villagers. Taking a deep breath, Dust stepped to the front of the group and knocked three times on the door. Moments later, a familiar face appeared as the door opened.

"Dust," Elder Grey-Eyes greeted. His eyes looked sad. "I've been expecting you. Do come in."

Dust and his companions shuffled into the house where Fidget wriggled out of Dust's vest and made herself comfortable by the fire. Once they were inside and finished stomping the snow off their boots, Elder Grey-Eyes welcomed them into his home and began preparing some tea for them.

"You certainly move quickly, Dust," the elderly Moonblood noted. _You're one to talk_. "Although, given the circumstances I do not blame you for doing so."

"You know why I'm here, then, Elder?" Dust asked quietly as he accepted a mug of tea.

"I feared such an occasion would rise," Grey-Eyes answered. "I had only hoped it would not have been so soon." His gaze fell on the two Moonbloods who had accompanied Dust. "I see the party has grown significantly since your last venture."

"Elder," Ash greeted formally. Kim nodded his head curtly in greeting.

"We're taking all the help we can get with this one," Fidget spoke up once her shivers had ceased. "Not that Dust isn't capable but we don't want to take any chances."

"A wise choice," Elder Grey-Eyes agreed. "Ashelin, if I recall correctly, you're quite the Mage." Ash once more flushed with humility.

"Still training, Elder," she claimed.

"It's not many trainees who can master the spells you have done," Elder Grey-Eyes praised. "And Kim, I am glad to see you helping as well."

"Just doing what needs to be done," Kim shrugged shortly. "And someone needs to keep an eye on these kids."

"I thank you for it," Grey-Eyes said. He turned back to Dust who was sitting quietly and not taking much of his tea, just staring at it blankly. "Judging by the fact that you carry the Blade of Ahrah and Fidget is with you, I trust that, by now, you know who you are, Dust?" he noted. Dust nodded.

"'He who is Born from the Dust'," he recited. "Sen-Mithrarin."

"Correct," Elder Grey-Eyes confirmed. "Ginger never wanted this burden to be placed on your shoulders again, as much as I warned her that it might."

"I'm…kinda glad that she didn't tell me, really," Dust admitted. "I've remembered so much over this last day alone…I don't know how much more I can take of it."

"I understand, Dust," Grey-Eyes said. "But if you have any questions for me, then I will not hesitate to answer them." Dust glanced at the Blade of Ahrah, which was once more hovering at his side.

"Do not be afraid to ask questions, Master," the sword spoke. "If you believe that understanding who you are will help in your journey, none of us will hide anything."

"Well, thank Elysium you learned that making him frustrated by keeping stuff from him last time was not a good idea," Fidget muttered dryly. Dust took a sip of tea, taking a deep breath as he asked his first question. In fact, it was a question that the previous day he'd told Kalyn he had no interest of ever finding the answer.

"Where am I from?" he asked. "Where did Sen-Mithrarin come from?" Elder Grey-Eyes paused, as if trying to think of the best way to answer the question.

"If one were to give you a physical place of origin, that would be the Life Thread," he replied. Dust nodded — Sen-Mithrarin had been born of the Life Thread's very essence. He knew that much. "Your history, however, is more complex than merely that."

"How so?"

"Sen-Mithrarin is created of two souls, each of opposite nature to the other," the Elder explained. "Two souls that, since your rebirth, appear to have fallen dormant."

"Two souls?" Dust blinked in amazement. "How's that even possible?" Ash and Kim listened in closely — they knew the tales of Sen-Mithrarin's deeds, but little about his origins.

"Your twin souls were ones that perished at the same moment," Elder Grey-Eyes explained. "Never before have I seen such an occurrence, and I doubt that I will ever again. They faced each other in battle, and fell to the other's blade."

"Who were they?" Dust asked. "My souls…before they were me?" At this point, Elder Grey-Eyes fell silent. He looked regretful, as if this was something he was unwilling to answer.

"An innocent heart and a ruthless killer," he said in the end. Dust looked unsatisfied with the answer.

"That's not what I meant!" he protested. "What were their names?"

"Dust," Ahrah cut across. "There is a reason why it would be unwise at this point to reveal the identities of your twin souls."

"Huh? Why's that?" Fidget asked.

"There are strange forces at work in Falana," Elder Grey-Eyes explained. "One that I have no doubt correlates with the resuming of the king's campaigns against our kind."

"What's going on, Elder?" Kim questioned.

"Not far from this village lies an ancient shrine," Grey-Eyes replied. "A sacred place wherein lies the source of the Life Thread itself."

"Did something happen?" Ash wondered aloud.

"Unfortunately, yes," Grey-Eyes confirmed. "The shrine has been a place of pilgrimage for our kind since the days of the Cynthak. I took a journey there myself a few days ago, merely on a hunch."

"Is something going on with the Life Thread?" Fidget asked.

"I am by no means as in tune with the Life Thread as beings like Lady Tethys of the Underground are," Elder Grey-Eyes explained. "But as an old Elysian Warrior, I still have a connection to it."

"Settle in, Dust — this may take a while," Fidget muttered, rejoining Dust on his shoulder.

"I felt a disturbance and travelled to the shrine," Grey-Eyes continued. "When I arrived, there was something missing. A precious and powerful artefact called the Eye of the Life Thread."

"I've heard of that!" Ash exclaimed. "They say that whoever gazes into the Eye has the ability to contact the souls who have returned to the Life Thread. One can also draw upon the powers of the Life Thread itself — powers that can heal even the gravest of injuries!"

"You have heard correctly, my dear," Elder Grey-Eyes confirmed. "But the Eye is also capable of much more. Legend has it, that whomever possesses it has control over the Life Thread and the souls of the departed."

"What's this got to do with Dust?" Kim asked. Dust had already caught on.

"The souls that make up me… They're…?" he began, trailing off.

"Indeed," Grey-Eyes nodded. "With the Eye of the Life Thread missing, your souls are in peril of succumbing to whomever possesses it. However, so long as your souls remain dormant, you will be able to remain under your own control."

"Wait, _soul_ control is one of the powers of this thing?!" Fidget exclaimed. "It can control the dead?!" Elder Grey-Eyes nodded. "Now _that_ is messed up! Not to mention a major taboo last time I checked!"

"Will saying the names of my twin souls wake them up?" Dust asked.

"Indeed it would," Elder Grey-Eyes said. "I warned Ginger of this while you were still an infant." Something clicked in Dust's head.

"Is…one of them her brother?" he guessed.

"She has told you of him?" Elder Grey-Eyes questioned, his eyes narrowing with concern.

"She never told me his name, if that's what you're worried about," Dust replied. "Said that it was disrespectful to speak the names of the dead."

"I would not go that far, but if it kept your souls dormant and safe then we must be grateful to her for telling you as such," Grey-Eyes sighed with relief. "Yes — one of your souls is that of Ginger's brother. The other belongs to his killer." Dust gulped, but he was starting to remember a conversation very much like this one. The only things that weren't coming back to him were the names, and if what Elder Grey-Eyes said was true, he couldn't afford to have these names spoken aloud.

"That must be so strange…" Ash remarked. "Do…do you notice anything at all?" she asked Dust who shook his head.

"Nothing," he replied. "They're just…part of me, I guess, but I'm still me. I can't say much about before, though…" he added hesitantly, glancing at Fidget and Ahrah.

"Main reason why you couldn't remember anything," Fidget explained. "But, long story short: the brother was your moral compass and the other guy gave you your strength." She made extra sure to not let slip the names. With this…Eye…missing, they couldn't afford to wake Dust's dormant souls. "But, hang on, if those souls are dormant…as in, _sleeping_ …how come's Dust is still up and about?"

"That's what I'd like to know as well," Kim admitted.

"Dust's body and mind have always been his own," Elder Grey-Eyes explained. "I can only theorise that when he was reborn thirteen years ago, his spirit formed a soul of his own."

"So, wait, Dust has _three_ souls now?" Fidget gaped.

"It's is only a theory, nothing more," the Elder said simply. Dust moved onto his next question.

"What do I need to do?" he asked bluntly. "I left things unfinished last time. I don't want to do the same thing again."

"Your primary goal is to seek out and rescue your mother, is it not?" Elder Grey-Eyes checked. When Dust confirmed this, he replied, "Were I to take any gander as to her whereabouts, I would direct you to the capital city: Falun. The Royal Family and their Army both use that place as their centre of operations. And if I were to guess, this conflict leads back to the King of Falana himself. You very well may need to confront him." Dust nodded. It seemed that their next destination had been decided.

"How do we get to Falun from here?" he asked.

"You will need to cross the Sunrose Plains to the north of these mountains," Grey-Eyes replied. "Falun lies in the centre of them. It is not hard to miss."

"Wait, the Sunrose Plains?" Fidget grimaced. "Haven't they been filling with bandits over the last decade or so?"

"We can take them!" Ash exclaimed confidently. "If we can defeat wolves and imps and Frites, bandits won't stand a chance!"

"I appreciate the confidence, Ash, but I don't fancy the risk of being turned into a nimbat scarf!" Fidget snapped.

"We'll be fine, Fidget," Dust smirked. "Have a little faith in the team, already." Fidget muttered something under her breath that went either unnoticed or ignored by the rest of the group.

"You will need to tread carefully around Falun," Elder Grey-Eyes warned. "I doubt Moonbloods will be welcome and neither will you, Dust, if what I have heard is true and the Army are also out searching for whom they believe to be General Gaius' killer."

"Which makes no sense seeing as far as nearly _everyone_ was concerned, he died in Everdawn _with_ the guy!" Fidget huffed.

"Trust me, I thought the same thing, Fidget," Dust sighed. "We'll think of something."

"There is one woman in Falun who may be able to help you," Elder Grey-Eyes said. "She has long been an ambassador for our kind since she was but a mere child, even at the risk of her own life. Her name is Elissa, and I promise that she will be a valuable contact to make."

"Wait, Elissa?" Dust repeated in shock. That name was very familiar — there wasn't a citizen in Falana that didn't know it. "As in Crown Princess Elissa of Falana? _That_ Elissa?"

"They are one and the same, yes," Elder Grey-Eyes confirmed. Dust whistled in amazement. If the King of Falana had a thing against Moonbloods then he could see how dangerous it was for the princess to be a sympathiser. "I will send word to her, so that she may find you in the city." Dust gave his thanks and the group began preparing to move on.

"Ready for an audience with Royalty, Kid?" Kim smirked.

"Hopefully not the kind which ends with the King saying 'off with his head' or something of the like," Dust grimaced.

"Seconding you there," Fidget muttered.

"Well, what're we waiting for?" Ash said with a wickedly exited glint flashing in her eyes. "Let's get moving! Ginger's waiting." Dust suggested that they restocked before heading out anywhere — he'd smashed enough walls to gather a few emergency Mysterious Wall Chickens but they were otherwise running low on other food supplies. He also wanted to be sure that Fidget wouldn't come down with anything else while they headed down the mountain again — Fidget insisted she was fine but both Dust and Ahrah were less than convinced.

As Ash and Kim headed out to the shops to restock supplies, Elder Grey-Eyes held Dust back. Fidget was now snoozing by the fire as she recovered from the last of her chills and the Blade of Ahrah was hovering dutifully nearby, never straying far from Dust's side. Elder Grey-Eyes couldn't help but marvel at the trio, and how the bonds tying their fates together had transcended time in such a way.

"I am truly sorry that Fate has treated you this way, Dust," Elder Grey-Eyes sighed. "Although I feared this may come to pass, I had hoped that it would have waited until you were older at the very least."

"I would say that I'd rather it hadn't happened at all," Dust grimaced. "But then I might not have ever met Fidget again." Fidget mumbled something in her sleep. Elder Grey-Eyes searched the boy's eyes closely, as if trying to find something that he couldn't place a claw on.

"You are young, but even these old eyes can see that you have something beyond your years in you," he said calmly. "You may be our destined hero, Dust, but you are also a boy. Do not ever forget that. You have been living a life that's entirely your own for the past thirteen years — do not let this take that away from you."

"What do you mean, Elder?" Dust asked quietly.

"The last time you saved our people you forged your own identity in a manner of days," Elder Grey-Eyes said. "But we still defined you by what you are. This time, you are far more. You are more than what we made you to be. Do not let go of what makes you who you are."

Dust wasn't entirely sure what the Moonblood leader meant by this, but he nonetheless nodded and promised that he would do his best. He considered himself to have changed drastically already — he already knew that he wasn't the same boy he'd been growing up as for the last thirteen years — but he couldn't change so much as to let this new-re-found part of his identity take over completely.

By the time Ash and Kim returned, Dust and Ahrah still weren't entirely satisfied that Fidget had recovered from her chills despite her insistences to the contrary. They decided to remain in New Zeplich and set out the following morning before they would attempt to tackle the Sunrose Plains and head towards Falun.


	11. Ambush!

**Ambush!**

"How did Mom live most of her life up in those mountains?" Dust grumbled as they made it past the snow-line the following day. They had a small forest to trek through before they reached the Sunrose Plains, which were fairly expansive in themselves from what Dust could see further up the mountain, but Dust and Fidget were both grateful to finally be out in the warm (in spite of Ash's magic).

"You can ask her when we rescue her," Kim shrugged. "Your fur not thick enough or something?"

"Oh, shush," Dust snapped irritably. "I've never been up a mountain before, okay?" No one bothered to mention the whole previous-life thing. Fifteen years was a long time and although Dust could remember visiting the Blackmoor Mountains before, he had no recollection of exactly how cold it was.

At the bottom of the mountains, a wide open plain stretched out ahead of them. On the horizon, the silhouette of a city was visible: Falun, the capital and only city of Falana.

"This world really _is_ a lot bigger than I remember," Dust gulped. Even from before, he had no memories of ever seeing the other side of the Blackmoor Mountain range. The two Moonbloods also looked amazed at the sight stretching before them.

"I've never been this side of the mountains before," Ash exhaled. "It's incredible."

"Well, we can stand around and enjoy the view once we've saved Ginger," Kim said bluntly, hoisting his bag over his shoulder. "Let's keep moving." Dust and Ash nodded and Fidget finally emerged from under Dust's cloak (she made a few grumbled complaints about how her wings had been getting crushed but Dust argued that it was either that or go delirious from the cold again).

Dust had to take into account how different the area on the other side of the mountains was in comparison to what he was used to. The valleys of Aurora and Abadis Forest were completely different to the open plains before him. It was as if he'd stepped into an entirely new country.

"There're hardly any trees out here," he remarked quietly as they reached the plains, grass so tall it was reaching his midriff.

"Well, most of the rain gets dumped on the other side of the mountains," Kim explained. "Also, the ground that side's a bit more fertile than over here because of the volcanoes." Dust nodded and hummed in genuine interest. He asked why they hadn't built the capital city in the more fertile region. "Same reason," Kim answered. "The Everdawn Basin makes the ground rife with seismic activity. The valleys also make it difficult to build any settlements bigger than a village, anyway."

"Well, someone knows his geography," Fidget remarked. Kim made a dry comment about the nimbat not knowing more about Falana. "Hey, we nimbats just learn layouts of the land when we go flying. We don't exactly get lessons on _why_ everything's the way it is."

Dust sighed and began moving forwards, ignoring Fidget's squeaks at him to wait up and keep his eyes open. Well, he listened to that last part. There _were_ bandits around to worry about after all and as much as Dust may have initially said that the group weren't carrying much of value he knew that the Blade of Ahrah, Ash's magic tome and Kim's pistols were probably worth more money than a lot of people would see in a lifetime _by themselves_. Combined…well, a bandit would be set for this life and beyond.

"So, this Princess Elissa…" Ash spoke up once they were a fair distance into the Sunrose Plains. "Have you ever seen her?" Dust shook his head.

"No, not in person," he replied. "Her portrait makes it into the papers on her birthday every year, but that's really the only impression I've ever gotten."

"Well, what's her portrait look like?" Fidget asked. Dust scrunched up his face in an attempt to remember the latest portrait of the princess.

"She's a lion Warmblood, if that's any help," he recalled. "Red hair, gold fur. You know? Royal family usual. Think she has purple eyes, but that might have just been the colouring in the papers."

"Didn't realise it was _that_ specific," Kim remarked dryly. "How're we supposed to meet up with her, though? I can't imagine she'd be let outside the palace without an escort, and the fewer people who see us the better."

"Elder Grey-Eyes _did_ say he'd send word in advance of our arrival," Dust pointed out. "And if she's a secret Moonblood sympathiser she may already have a plan to sneak out. Probably has done on several occasions."

"Princess with a rebellious streak, huh?" Fidget smirked. "I like this lady already."

"Okay, _that_ part of the plan's fine," Kim frowned. "But what about us? I think we already established that Moonbloods aren't welcome in Falun and Dust is a wanted fugitive."

"Thanks for the reminder," Dust grumbled.

"Kim has a fair point, Dust," Ahrah spoke. "If we plan to enter Falun we will need to remain unseen."

"Or at least come up with a disguise or something," Fidget suggested. "See, Dust? This is why we should have taken that stupid hat."

"I SAID NO TO THE STUPID HAT, FIDGET!" Dust snapped childishly. Ash giggled next to him, which only caused Dust to turn a shade of pale pink again. In turn, it made Fidget laugh her head off and tease the poor boy even more.

"We'll think of something," Ash said once she'd recovered from her fit of giggles. "I reckon if we come across any bandits we might be able to nick a few bits and pieces back."

"Ex-nay on the ealing-stay," Dust grumbled ("Does it count if it's already been stolen?" "YES!").

Speaking of the bandits, it wasn't at all long before the group began running into them. They were hard to spot in the tall grass but Fidget had keener eyes than one might initially realise and was quick to pick up out of place movements in the fields. By now, the group was truly starting to gel as a team in combat, and Dust was starting to get the hang of the Blade of Ahrah once more, and was even starting to practice a few aerial combos which Ash expressed some admiration for.

The sun soon began to beat strongly overhead as the day reached its midpoint. Used to the more temperate climate of the other side of the Blackmoor Mountains, Dust tugged at the collar of his cape as his ears drooped in discomfort.

"Ash, you wouldn't happen to have a cooling spell, would you?" he asked, also regretting the chain mail. Ash frowned and began flicking through her book.

"You Warmbloods really don't do well with temperature changes, do you?" Kim noted. "Personally, I find this climate quite agreeable."

"Oh, go easy on him, will you?" Fidget huffed. "For one, the kid's hardly used to it. Second, our body temperature remains constant! It doesn't change to match external conditions."

"I see," Ash nodded in understanding before she found a spell she was satisfied with. She muttered a quick incantation in what Dust could only assume was the Ancient Cynthak language, and within seconds Dust felt a pleasant cooling sensation wave over his body. He smiled and thanked Ash, who in turn flushed humbly. Kim called out for their attention a short distance away so the two teens and the nimbat jogged over to see what the fuss was about.

"Look here," Kim grinned. "Reckon I might have found us a decent spot to rest," he said, pointing to an old, very run down looking cottage by a lone tree in the middle of the plains. The cottage itself looked like it was older than the hills, overgrown with foliage and not exactly looking very stable on its feet. Dust frowned.

"Are we sure its safe?" he asked. "I mean, it doesn't look structurally sound and even if it is, how do we know the bandits aren't using it?"

"Dust has a point, Kim," Ash shrugged. The eighteen-year-old Moonblood rolled his eyes.

"We'll be fine," he reassured. "Besides, if you haven't noticed the bandits are completely avoiding this part of the Plains. I haven't seen a single one since we passed those shrubs over there."

"Maybe there's a reason they do that?" Fidget pointed out, her voice wavering from nerves ever so slightly. "I don't know, maybe there's a local monster around here? One that's particularly powerful? Or maybe this cottage is haunted? Because that is an entirely plausible possibility!"

"Uh, Fidget, I think if this place was haunted we'd be getting a more 'Sorrowing Meadows' kind of vibe from this place," Dust reckoned. "Although the monster thing is also entirely possible."

"Have we seen any trace of monsters?" Kim pointed out. "If anything, this place seems like a a safe haven."

"You're supposed to be the responsible adult here, Kim!" Ash argued. "Honestly, Dust and Fidget are honestly sounding more sensible than you."

"Hey! I'm technically the eldest here!" Fidget protested. Dust didn't know how old the nimbat had been when he'd first met her all those years ago when he'd first been Sen-Mithrarin but he knew that she had to be a good few years over fifteen. If he had to take a guess, she was definitely over eighteen but who knew what that meant in nimbat years?

"If you're so worried, cast a shield around the area or something, Ash," Kim suggested. "All I'm saying is that it's a good place to get out of the sun while it's hot, and a decent spot to have lunch and a nap if anyone needs it."

"I'm down for a nap!" Fidget suddenly perked up, causing Dust to roll his eyes at her.

"You were snoozing in my tunic all morning!" he huffed. "How are you still tired?!"

"Hey, these wings aren't as young as they used to be!" Fidget pouted.

"You're hardly ancient, even in nimbat years."

"Oh, shush!"

"Look, any way we slice it, we need to find some place to rest, even for half an hour," Kim insisted. "We've been walking since breakfast and I'm no Warmblood health expert, kid, but you look dead on your feet. Same goes for you, Ash — I'm, as you put it, the responsible adult around here and I'm not having the Team Mage and Elysian Warrior passing out on me."

Dust grumbled under his breath but nonetheless relented. Ash also mumbled a few words of disagreement but Kim admittedly had a point — they needed to at least take a break for lunch otherwise there was no way they would all be reaching Falun conscious. Reluctantly, the two teens followed Kim to the run-down cottage and ducked inside. The inside of the cottage was almost, if not just as rundown as the outside. Trees had begun to claim the walls as supports, ivy covered most of the interior and Dust was fairly sure he could see a bird's nest or two in the rafters.

"Can't imagine what it was like to live out here," Ash muttered as she tentatively sat down on a pile of rubble which looked as if it could have been the floor of someone's bedroom.

"Fidget, didn't you say there's only been bandit issues in these Plains for the last decade or so?" Dust asked as he began nibbling on a Louta Nut.

"More or less," Fidget nodded, snacking on a paw-full of Feeble Fruits. "Why?"

"This place looks like it's been abandoned for even longer than that," Dust replied. "I don't think the occupants here would have worried about the bandits that much."

"With a horse and cart you could probably make it to the city in minutes," Kim pointed out. "It's not a bad spot location wise for a couple of decades ago. Nice and quiet, but not too far from civilisation."

"Not much in terms of neighbours, though," Fidget noticed. "I didn't see any indications of other houses in these plains." Dust agreed — this cottage really was the Little House on a Prairie. Whoever had lived here must have liked their peace and quiet. With the bandits giving the place a wide berth and no signs of monsters, Dust found himself strangely relaxing…

Until the snap of a twig caught his attention, causing his ears to prick upright in alarm. The movement didn't go unnoticed by the Moonbloods.

"What is it, Dust?" Ash asked quietly. Dust shushed her as he listened closely, Fidget following suit. He hissed at the Moonbloods to keep a hand on their belongings and gripped Ahrah tightly, shifting into a defensive stance. Something was watching the group, and whatever it was did not appear to be friendly.

"Get out of the house," he whispered. Without hesitation, the Moonbloods exited the ruins of the cottage, closely followed by Fidget and Dust. Moments later, something darted across them, with a distinct sound of ringing metal whispering on the wind.

"Who's there?!" Kim shouted, his pistols at the ready. Ash prepared herself as Dust stood forward, bouncing on the balls of his feet in readiness for a fight. A flash of metal caught his eye and he swiftly moved to block it. As he did, he threw the attacker off balance and the group caught their first look at their assailant.

It was a rabbit Warmblood with sunset-pink fur and red hair framing two dark blue eyes. Her appearance was one of someone who had been through tough times: her clothes were tatty, comprised of a split skirt and crop top made of dirty yellow material and blue leggings. She was barefoot, and carried two knives in her hands. What nearly threw Dust off guard was the appearance of the knives.

"Dust!" Ahrah spoke. "Her weapons!"

"I know," Dust murmured. "Where did you get those?!" he demanded. The knives were the same colour as the Blade of Ahrah. The Warmblood growled.

"None of your business," she snapped. "Where did you get that blade?"

"None of _your_ business," Dust retorted sharply. "What do you want?"

The rabbit Warmblood didn't answer and instead lunged forward, barely giving Dust enough time to dodge out of the way and for Ash to retaliate with a magic attack. Seeing no other way out, the group launched into a fight.

The young woman was fast, and made sure the others knew it. However, her attack patterns were also predictable and Kim was soon able to shoot a Stun Dart into her ankle when she tried attacking from a nearby tree for the fifth time. The shoot sent her tumbling to the ground, her knives clattering on the floor as she dropped them. Ash took the opportunity to examine one immediately.

"Don't touch those!" the rabbit Warmblood snapped. Ash ignored her.

"They aren't Elysian Blades," she said. "That much is certain." Dust frowned.

"Why do they look so similar?" he wondered. Ahrah floated from his hands to take a close look.

"They are made from the same metal as the Blades of Elysium," it explained. "But they lack the power. If I recall, these are Starsheen Knives, weapons made to mimic the Blades in terms of strength. They possess not the power that you wield, Dust.."

"How did you get these?" Fidget squeaked.

"My father gave those to me once I was old enough," the woman said shortly. "Now give them back." Dust frowned.

"You recognised the Blade of Ahrah, didn't you?" he asked. "What's your connection to the Blades of Elysium?"

"My father told me stories, that is all," the woman snapped. "What are you doing with it anyway?"

"I'll have you know that Dust is a certified Elysian Warrior, lady!" Fidget snapped proudly. The woman scoffed.

"That shrimp? He's nothing but a child!"

"This is going to become a recurring issue, isn't it?" Dust mumbled grumpily. Ash stepped in.

"It doesn't make a difference," she said firmly. "You saw his skills just now." The woman bit her tongue and pouted — she could hardly deny it.

"I heard tales of a Warrior that ended the war," she said. "Ever since I arrived here…rumour said that it was a white fox Warmblood who carried a glowing broadsword…"

"And that he'd died in the Everdawn Volcanoes, right?" Dust finished without skipping a beat. The rabbit Warmblood blinked in surprise.

"Yes," she frowned. "That sword was supposedly lost with him," she said, indicating Ahrah. "Where did you get it?!"

"My Master summoned me in a time of need," Ahrah spoke calmly. "He was fated to be my bearer since birth. I merely answered when called."

"Hmph," the woman huffed, less than satisfied with the answer.

"I am curious that you wield the Starsheen Knives, Miss," Ahrah continued. "Those who do have some connection to the Blades of Elysium. I would not object if you decided to join us."

"What?!" Dust spluttered in shock. That came out of nowhere.

"Are we completely ignoring the fact that she _just_ tried to kill us?!" Fidget pointed out in frustration. Kim looked at the woman suspiciously.

"I'm with the nimbat," he agreed ("I HAVE A NAME!"). "How do we know she can be trusted?"

"Dust," Ash said. "Has the Blade of Ahrah ever been wrong before?" Dust scrunched up his face in an attempt to remember.

"No, but then again it's always let me make my own choices," he replied. "It's a guide, and I can't remember a time where it didn't help me do the right thing."

The young woman sighed and pushed herself into a seating position, her legs still feeling the effects of the Stun Dart.

"I know you may not trust me, but this country is in turmoil, even now," she said. "If an Elysian Warrior is working to put things right, then I'll follow," she added. "Even if you _are_ just a kid."

"As we've already established," Dust grumbled sarcastically.

"I have no reason to doubt that your sword is lying," the woman said. "I'll join you, if you need the help." Dust thought for a moment — he had no reason to suspect that Ahrah would lie to him, so he trusted its judgement. That didn't mean he wouldn't keep a close eye on this woman, though.

"Alright," he agreed. "I really didn't want to drag anymore people into my mess, but like these guys have told me, I can't do this alone. I really could use all the help I can get."

"At least we got _that_ through your thick skull," Fidget muttered.

"What's your name?" Ash asked.

"Taka," the rabbit Warmblood replied. "You can call me Taka."

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance," Kim muttered. "Thought I can't say much for your meet-and-greet methods."

"You camped out in my place!" Taka protested. "Sorry for being defensive!"

"You live here?" Dust spluttered.

"Well, it's rent free and I've beaten the stuffing out of enough bandits that they stay away from the place," Taka replied. "You don't get many travellers from the mountains nowadays."

It took a while for the effects of the Stun Dart to wear off, but once it did Taka was more than happy to share her dwelling with her new companions. Dust was starting to get used to have an increasingly large party with him, and something about Taka told him that Ahrah was right — she was going to be a useful ally.

It was annoying that he had to keep an eagle-eye on his food to make sure she didn't nick it from under his nose, however.

* * *

 **Quick note, I've been posting designs of the main characters in this story over on my deviantART account. My username there is the same as here, so check out my _Dust: An Elysian Tail – Reborn from Ashes_ folders in my gallery to see the character designs. Characters features so far include:**

 **\- Dust (casual wear)**

 **\- Ginger**

 **\- Kalyn**

 **\- Ash**

 **\- Kim**

 **\- Taka**

 **There are also some pictures I've drawn featuring characters and/or scenes from the story, so feel free to check those out. As a heads up, I may miss the update on Sunday, but I'll try my best to get the next chapter uploaded.**


	12. Falun

**Falun**

"So you're travelling to save your mother?" Taka asked as the group finished their lunch. Dust nodded.

"She's done so much for me…and now she's in trouble because of me," he sighed. "I have to do something."

"And in the process you're planning to take on the King of Falana and end this war for good?" Taka added, chucking an apple core over her shoulder.

"That's the idea," Ash shrugged. Taka let out a low whistle.

"You kids are crazier than I thought," she remarked.

"Hey, I'm not a kid!" Kim protested grumpily. Taka ignored him and dug out a whetstone to sharpen her knives.

"You've got guts, Shrimp," she smirked. Dust squawked in protest at the sudden new nickname but that also went ignored. "Kinda remind me of my sister."

"She as 'crazy' as the rest of us, then?" Dust pouted, still reeling from the nickname.

"She's gutsy," Taka corrected. "And has a very strong sense of right and wrong." There was a pause. "And maybe a little crazy."

"Sounds like someone I'd want to meet," Fidget said with a small grin. Taka smiled.

"Maybe I'll introduce you all someday," she offered. "She's a dab hand with a sword. Maybe you two could go a few rounds," she directed at Dust who shrugged. It wasn't a bad offer. "You guys were headed towards Falun, right?"

"That's the plan," Kim nodded. "We've got a meeting with a source of intel to attend." Taka frowned.

"Well, you two wouldn't make it past the gates, I'm afraid," she sighed regretfully, looking at Kim and Ash in turn. "Even after the campaigns on the other side of the mountains ended Moonbloods haven't been welcome at all in the capital."

"We had a feeling that was going to be the case," Ash winced.

"You two would be safer hanging out here," Taka suggested. "I can probably smuggle the kid in if we cover up enough of the white…"

"You heard about that too, huh?" Dust grumbled.

"Shrimp, there've been bounty posters with your description on every road signpost in the kingdom," Taka huffed. "I doubt there's a single person who doesn't know of the manhunt going on for a white fox Warmblood. You're lucky I'm not a bounty hunter, otherwise it would've taken more than your friend's pin-needles to stop me." Dust was kind of glad that the posters didn't seem to indulge in much more than his appearance.

"You want to bet on that?" Kim growled. Once again, the comment when ignored.

"So what's the plan?" Fidget asked. "Roll Dust in the mud?"

"Hey!" Dust protested.

"What? Gotta get rid of that white somehow," the nimbat shrugged. "Why couldn't you have had normal coloured fur?" One might make the argument that Warmbloods like Reed and Moska had wackier colours for their fur, but Fidget had a point — Dust's particular shade of white was pretty much as rare as you could get.

"I don't know the ins and outs of the whole Elysian Warrior shtick, okay?!" Dust snapped defensively. "I kinda assumed it was like that for people like me."

"You wouldn't be wrong, Dust," the Blade of Ahrah confirmed. "Beings bound to Elysium do tend to have certain…quirks about them."

"Well, the Elder was apparently _your_ wielder way back when and he looks like any other two-hundred-plus-year-old Moonblood to me," Dust muttered grumpily ("How many two-hundred-plus-year-old Moonbloods have you even seen?" Fidget asked).

"Elder Grey-Eyes is a different case," Ahrah spoke. Nothing else was said on the matter.

"Getting a bit of dust in your fur might grey it off a little," Taka admitted. "But Falun's a stuffy place. Full of more snobbish pedigrees than a day at the races," she added with a distasteful grimace. "They wouldn't let you into the inner quarters…unless you don't need to go there?" she quizzed.

"We don't know where it is exactly we need to go in there," Dust admitted. "We weren't exactly given a lot of details." Taka frowned, pausing in thought.

"I can get you some traveller's gear," she offered. "The hat alone will cover your face and if I can find a big enough tunic it ought to cover enough of your fur to keep you decently disguised."

"Guess we get to see Dust in a stupid hat again after all," Fidget snickered gleefully. Dust was looking less than enthusiastic about the whole idea but agreed that it was nonetheless the best idea that they had. Taka mentioned that some of the the Sunrose bandits often carried around travellers gear with them given that they sometimes traded their goods in disguise within the city walls. Dust made a comment about thieving from the thieves again but this time he was shut down with a comment from Fidget that now was not the time to constantly be taking the moral high-ground.

* * *

Dust continued grumbling about the situation all the way up to the gates of Falun. He was now decked out in a severely oversized tunic, cloak and hat which might has well have made him look like a walking clothes horse. Taka had also kitted herself out with some travellers' gear but at least hers was sized correctly.

"This was a stupid plan…" Dust muttered grumpily for the tenth time in as many minutes.

"Stop your whining, Dust," Fidget hissed from under the cloak. "It wasn't like anyone could come up with any better ideas."

"Fidget is right, Dust," Ahrah spoke softly from within the folds of the cloak. "We should not look a gift horse in the mouth." _Some gift horse…_ Dust thought, grateful that the hat and scarf he was also wearing hid a childish pout. _Doesn't change the fact that I look like a complete idiot…this is never going to work._

"Trust me, Shrimp," Taka smirked. "This is the best way we're going to get you into Falun to meet…whoever it is you're meeting."

"Can you stop calling me 'Shrimp'?" Dust asked sulkily. "I'm not _that_ small."

"You're the smallest out of your little posse besides your flying friend," Taka pointed out (Fidget had already shut her down for calling her a flying mongoose earlier — she was still nursing the bite marks on her nose). "And that sword you're carrying is nearly the same size as you. It doesn't help your case."

"Grr…" Dust grumbled. He suddenly knew how Ivan must feel being the youngest of his siblings.

Remarkably, the group was actually able to enter the gates of Falun without much of a hold up, with Taka revealing she had an astoundingly quick and silver tongue as she explained to the guards that she was a travelling merchant visiting Falun with her younger, mute brother ("Take a leaf out of Matti's book and just grumble if people talk to you, Dust," Fidget had suggested earlier) to source some new wares. If Fidget was seen, she was passed off as a doll (Dust having left the actual doll with the Moonbloods back at the ruined cottage).

"It worries me how good at lying you are, Taka," Dust muttered out of earshot. Taka shrugged.

"I've been living by my lonesome for the last five years on a bandit-infested Plain," she said. "Comes with the territory." Dust made a mental note to ask Taka more about this later. "Now keep your eyes peeled — who's it you're looking for?"

"Someone who's probably not supposed to be out and about," Dust whispered back, still not comfortable with indulging all of the details with someone he'd only just met. "They're probably in as much of a disguise as I am."

"Surely she's not going to look _that_ ridiculous," Fidget snickered. Dust retaliated by pinching the end of her tail. "OUCH!"

"Dust!" Taka hissed sharply.

"What?"

* * *

Dust and Taka wondered around Falun for the best part of an hour and there was still no sign whatsoever of the one they were meant to meet with. They'd looked around the shops to keep up Taka's story of being travelling merchants but things were so pricy that they wouldn't have been able to afford it even if they bartered.

"You were right about snobbish," Fidget muttered as she gazed longingly at a (in Dust's opinion) severely overpriced cupcake in a bakery window. "How do people afford to live here?"

"Exploitation of the working class by the bourgeois," Taka replied as-a-matter-of-fact-ly. "That's the gist I get of it."

Dust was less occupied with the prices of food and materials and more so with the talk that he had been overhearing throughout the city. While Taka had been chatting away to some of the citizens, Dust had been listening in on other conversations and he hadn't been liking what he'd been hearing.

"What kind of new warfare do you think His Majesty has come up with that surpasses Gaius' technology?" someone had said.

"I don't know, but it's taken fifteen years for him to develop it," someone else had replied. "It must be powerful."

"After the King's wiped out the Moonbloods…what do you think will happen next?"

"Well, it's going to make a statement. Falana would be a powerful ally to anyone who wanted one…"

The topics of conversation made Dust shudder in disgust. At least he was getting an idea as to why the campaigns had resumed after so long, but it disturbed him to think that the King of Falana would do so after so long at peace. It still seemed ludicrous.

"How many more are going to have to die before he's satisfied?" he growled softly and hatefully as the group stepped away from another overpriced store.

"I know this isn't nice, Dust," Taka murmured. "But we'll find a way to stop…whatever it is the King's doing now."

"We don't even know what this new warfare is!" Dust pointed out. "How do we fight something we know nothing about?"

"Like we always do?" Fidget shrugged. "Wing it and hope for the best?"

"I don't think that's going to be enough this time…" Dust sighed. "Especially with what the Elder said about the you-know-what…"

"I'm right here, Shrimp," Taka frowned. "You still don't trust me? And what do you mean by 'this time'? No way you've fought on this kind of scale before…"

"Like Fidget pointed out not two hours ago, you _did_ try to kill us," Dust pouted. Taka shrugged — fair enough. She could understand if they didn't quite trust her. A movement caught Dust's eye from a couple of stands away. There was a tallish cloaked figure, head covered and face hidden. From what Dust could gather, the figure was female and maybe around Taka's height, but the cloak made it impossible to determine what kind of person they were.

"Dust," Ahrah spoke softly, barely audible above the hustle and bustle of the town square. "I have a feeling that this may be who we have come to see."

"Right," Dust murmured, making his way through the crowd with Taka following close behind him. As he drew closer, the cloaked figure caught onto his presence and looked up for the briefest of moments, showing a pair of violet eyes underneath the hood. Dust looked up just enough so that he made eye contact, pale-blue meeting bright violet. The figure beckoned him to follow as they ducked into a nearby alley.

"Dust, I really hope you know what you're doing," Fidget hissed.

"She has purple eyes, Fidget!" Dust whispered back. "It's a pretty standout feature." He ducked into the alleyway without further hesitation, Taka right on his tail with her hands hovering over the Starsheen Knives hidden in the folds of her cloak. As soon as they were out of sight of the square, the cloaked figure spoke.

"Are you the one the Elder spoke of?" she murmured, her voice soft and rich in tone. It sang nobility. Dust paused but nonetheless removed his hat, revealing his face.

"Yes," he confirmed. "I am Dust." The cloaked figure nodded in satisfaction and removed her hood, revealing a young lioness Warmblood with rich golden fur and hair of flame red. "Your Highness," Dust gulped, bowing as low as he could as soon as he saw the Crown Princess' face. Taka's breath hitched.

"You were meeting with the _princess_ and you never told me?!" she exclaimed as softly as she could. Fidget gave her a dry glare, reminding her once again of the incident back at the ruined cottage.

"Dust, please. Call me Elissa," the princess sighed. "We are alone here. I do not mind if we drop the formalities." Dust rose from his bow. "Elder Grey-Eyes said that you were coming."

"Wow, news really does travel fast," Fidget muttered. She squeaked a quick greeting and introduction to Elissa, who broke into a small smile for a brief moment upon seeing the nimbat poking her head through Dust's cloak.

"He said you might be able to tell us something?" Dust inquired. "About my mother…and why things have gotten so bad so quickly?" Elissa's smile vanished as soon as it had appeared.

"I am truly sorry about your mother, Dust,"she said sincerely. "I will tell you that she is alive." Dust heaved a sigh of relief. He still had time…that was good. "She was brought before the court a couple of days ago. My father decided to keep her by his side…I fear he plans to use her to lure you out."

"Well, luckily for him it's going to work," Dust snarled, his fur beginning to stand on end and his tail swishing wildly. "I'm not going anywhere until my mom is safe."

"Dust, calm yourself," Ahrah said warningly. "The King is trying to make you act rashly. That would be highly unwise and would put everyone's lives at risk." Dust mumbled in agreement but he was still tense with anger.

"I never thought the King would stoop to such cowardly tactics," Taka muttered. "And against a child, no less."

"The tales of the Moonbloods' saviour is known throughout Falana," Elissa explained. "After the battle at Everdawn fifteen years ago, there were multiple sightings of the warrior's sword rising from the basin. Father never truly believed that the one who defeated his friend was dead."

"Guess that's why those soldiers were after you back in Falana," Fidget guessed. Dust was shocked…people had been looking for him since _before_ he had been born again? Honestly, if that was the case, then he was surprised that he'd made it to thirteen without his life being thrown completely out of whack. Taka looked confused.

"Wait…what's she…?" she began but she didn't get the chance to finish her question as the princess began talking again.

"Actually, the hunt for Gaius' killer only began recently," Elissa contradicted when Dust voiced his thoughts out loud. "Father wanted to be sure that he could win against him, and now he feels that he has the means to."

"Hmph. Good luck to him because Dust has gone up against a _deity_ and won," Fidget boasted.

"Fidget, that was fifteen years and a completely different life ago!" Dust protested.

"What are you talking about?" Taka frowned. Dust winced…whoops.

"I'll explain later," he muttered. "Is this means to fight me the new method of warfare we've been hearing about around town?" he asked. "Because it sure seems to coincide with the resumed campaigns against the Moonbloods." Elissa nodded sombrely.

"It is," she confirmed. "Father has been searching for it ever since he learned of Sen-Mithrarin. He never speaks of it to anyone, but what I can gather is that it is an ancient form of magic, and a powerful one at that." Dust's breath hitched and he could feel Fidget freeze up by his side and the Blade of Ahrah go cold in his hands.

"Has…has your father by any chance gotten his hands on a new jewel recently?" Dust wondered, his voice shaking with worry. Elissa nodded, asking why. "Ahrah…you don't think that…?"

"I fear that it is so, Dust," Ahrah agreed. "King Julius may very well be the one who stole the Eye of the Life Thread from its shrine."

"What's the Eye of the Life Thread?" Taka frowned. _So many questions…no way was she going along with this unless she got some answers and pronto._

"An artefact that can control the souls of the dead," Fidget explained quickly. "Which is kind of a big issue for us."

"Why?"

"Later," Dust said quickly. "But Fidget's right…if the King has the Eye of the Life Thread, who knows what he'll do with it? Whatever it is, it's bad news for us."

"Why are you telling us all of this, Princess?" Taka asked. "He's your father, after all. Why are you helping his enemies behind his back?" Elissa took a deep breath as if contemplating her answer before speaking.

"I have never understood my father's reasons for hating the Moonbloods so deeply," she explained. "For centuries they have been dying out, more so since my father came to power. He is a good king to his subjects when it pleases him, but he is ruthless to those he despises. For whatever reason, the Moonbloods fall into this category." She paused again. "I doubt that I will ever understand his reasons for wanting them dead," she said softly. "And I fear that if this continues, there will be no Moonbloods left for me to repair relations with once my father's reign ends…Long live the King," she added almost sadly, with her final statement almost coming as an afterthought.

"I want to avoid too much bloodshed," Dust admitted. "I just want this all to stop…I just want to go home."

"And home you will go, Dust," Ahrah promised gently. "But we will need to move swiftly and stop King Julius from using the Eye of the Life Thread, before he has a chance to. Once it is out of his control, it may be possible to negotiate." Dust nodded in agreement.

"I'll try to find out whatever I can about my father's plans with this…Eye," Elissa decided. "And everything else he has been researching…it has been fifteen years, after all. He must know more than simply the location of the Eye and what it can be used for."

"Thank you, Your High…I mean, Elissa," Dust stammered over his words. "But how will we get messages from you?"

"I have a friend…he's more of a younger brother to me…who can get out and about far easier than I can," Elissa explained. "His name is Jarin. He's the Marquess of Ivydale, son of the Duke of Abadis. His father is close with mine, and he should be able to give you more information about my father's battle plans."

"Never realised Ivydale had a Marquess," Fidget muttered. "Where can we find him?"

"He is in town," Elissa replied. "The Duke was visiting my father before he left…he never said where they went to to, but he would have told the Duke. Jarin's good at gathering information, so he should know a thing or two. I will warn you, though, he can be…a bit of a child."

"What do you mean?" Dust frowned.

"I mean that for a boy of his position of responsibility, he can act more like a street urchin," Elissa grimaced. "In fact, I'm fairly sure a lot of his friends are street children."

"Wonderful…" Fidget grumbled. Dust had a sudden flashback of when he'd visited Mudpot with Fidget in his previous life, and how one young girl had wanted Fidget as a pet. He snickered at remembering how Fidget just didn't do well with small children.

"I'm the only one he'll listen to half the time," Elissa sighed. "I'm actually rather hoping that you will inspire him to mature a little, Dust."

"How old's this kid exactly?" Taka blinked.

"Fourteen."

"Drat…" Dust grumbled. He'd been hoping to be older than at least _one_ person he'd meet on this journey. The pickpockets in town didn't count. "I can't make any promises."

"I do not expect you to," Elissa reassured. "I just thought that it would be best to warn you."

"I appreciate it, thank you," Dust said. "I think I can deal with it…Fidget, maybe not so much."

"I am telling you now, Dust," the nimbat mumbled grumpily. "You are the only kid besides Corbin and Colleen that I have ever been able to deal with."

"Well, Corbin and Colleen weren't exactly childish themselves," Dust remembered fondly. "We should go find Jarin," he decided. "Thank you for your help, Elissa."

"I am only doing what I can to make my kingdom a better place…for all of its inhabitants," Elissa smiled sadly. "Good luck, Dust."

As the group exited the alley, Elissa left them with one last phrase to say when they saw the rebellious marquess. With the phrase committed to memory, the group set off to the outer market where Elissa said Jarin was likely to be found.

* * *

 **Really sorry that I've missed the last three update slots! Most of last week, I had little to no internet at home (I'm talking slower speed than** ** _dial-up_** **! I'm not even kidding), which thankfully has been fixed now, and I also have a truckload of university assignments to work on over the next few weeks. I apologise in advance for any missed updates in the future, but I'm going to update both tomorrow and Friday to catch up with the chapter schedule.**


	13. Onwards to Everdawn

**Onwards to Everdawn**

"I can see why Elissa gave us that specific phrase," Taka muttered when they spotted a young boy — a grey cat Warmblood with dark blue hair and bright green eyes — leaving a stall in the outer market. He was clearly a nobleman, dressed in scarlet finery of velvets and silks, but he didn't carry himself in such a way. "His posture is awful."

"You're telling me," Dust agreed. "Mom would have a fit if I went around like that." Taka and Fidget didn't doubt it. The boy was slouched over, his shoulders hunched as he wondered almost aimlessly through the market. Dust noticed that the pickpockets avoided him — must be the friendships that Elissa was talking about. Seriously, when he wasn't disguised in oversized traveller's gear, _Dust_ looked more noble than this boy did. They winced when they saw him kick over a stool outside on of the town bars.

"And…there's the childishness," Fidget moaned. "Perfect."

"Let's move quick," Dust hissed, moving forward purposefully and tugging his hat down so that no one nearby saw his face (by the Overseers, he was burning this entire outfit as soon as he got the chance…). Aiming his walk carefully, he moved so that he crashed straight into the boy, sending them both tumbling into a cabbage stand (the owner was furious).

"AH!" Jarin yelped. Footmen came rushing to his aid, just as Taka ran over to Dust's side. "Good grief! Watch where you're going!" he snapped.

"Marquess Jarin! Are you alright?" a footman asked. Jarin nodded haughtily as the footman turned to Dust. "Explain yourself, child! Do you realise what you have just done?!"

Dust mumbled incoherently, as his cover story went, and Taka stepped in.

"Please, good sir, forgive my brother," she apologised profusely, keeping her head lowered in a deep curtsey. "He is mute and his mind is addled. I will accept all responsibility for his actions and pay for any damage he may have caused."

"Don't bother yourself, I'm fine," Jarin huffed, brushing his coat down. "You should keep a closer eye on your brother."

"My most sincere apologies, Sire," Taka curtsied over and over. Dust discretely nudged her — now was as good a time as any to get that phrase in. "I tell him so many times to keep his head up and watch where he is going, but he is forever curling in on himself. I tell him: 'Keep slouching and someday you'll turn into a hunchback', but does he listen?"

Dust peeked out from under his hat and saw Jarin's eyes widen with recognition of the phrase. The young marquess turned to his footmen.

"Leave these pedlars be," he ordered. "And let me go," he added snappishly. "I don't need my hand held."

"But, Marquess…"

"I said leave!" Jarin barked (odd, seeing as he was a cat Warmblood). The footmen scurried away as Jarin turned to face the others again. "Walk with me," he ordered. "I want to go outside the gates."

"Well, isn't this guy just a ray of sunshine," Fidget grumbled into Dust's ear. It took all of Dust's self-restraint to not snicker.

Once outside Falun, Jarin led Dust and Taka around the wall until they were out of sight of any guards before he turned on his heels and glared insistently at them.

"Where did you hear that phrase?" he demanded. Dust sighed and pinched his brow together.

"She said you'd be like this…" he muttered.

"Wait, you know Ellie?" Jarin blinked. "How?"

"Long story short, we're on the same side as the princess," Taka replied shortly. "She told us you could give us some information."

"Information on what, exactly?" Jarin pressed. "And who are you anyway? Ellie's never mentioned having pedlars for friends."

"Technically we only just met," Dust explained, ignoring Jarin's comment about him actually being able to speak. "My name's Dust. Sorry about barging into you earlier."

"You're gutsy, I'll give you that," Jarin pouted. "Luckily you didn't cause any permanent damage."

"I knocked you over into a cabbage stand!" Dust protested. "You had a soft landing!"

"Boys!" Taka snapped. "Can it."

"You can't tell me what to do," Jarin glowered.

"Are you going to help us or not, Coat Tails?" Taka huffed. "Because according to your princess friend you're the best source of info to help find Dust's mother and possibly save the entire kingdom while we're at it. And I seriously suggest that you share any and all information you have on the matter because we're the ones with a nimbat on hand." Jarin froze.

"Your…mother?" he frowned, looking at Dust. Dust nodded. "Is she…is she the red-headed fox that was brought before the court two days ago?"

"Yes, that's her," Dust said. "Elissa said she's still alive." Jarin looked worried.

"I don't know how much longer that will last," he grimaced. "The King took her and a new legion of soldiers to Everdawn Basin yesterday. There's been a battle with the Moonbloods up there for the last week."

"Why does everything we do lead back to those volcanoes?" Fidget mumbled nervously. Dust inhaled sharply.

"We were _just_ in the mountains!" he exclaimed. "We could have skipped this leg and gone straight there!"

"Easy, Shrimp," Taka soothed in the only way she knew how. "Don't get your tail in a knot."

"This is my _mother_ we're talking about here, Taka!" Dust snapped. "We're going to Everdawn right now!"

"Dust, calm yourself!" Ahrah said firmly, its voice rising a lot more than it had ever done before. "You're working yourself up, and you are losing rationality as a result! Clear your head, and think this through before…"

"Clearing my head is the _last_ thing on my mind, Ahrah!" Dust snapped, ignoring Jarin's exclamation of shock at hearing Ahrah speak. "I can't just stop and think things through when I'm this close."

"Hey, cool it, Dust!" Fidget interjected. "Ahrah's right. Marching straight to Everdawn does get us to Ginger, but it also leads us right to King Julius. Who, may I just remind you, _has the one thing that could take you out of action at this point in time?_ "

"That's besides…"

"That is _not_ besides the point, Dust, and we are going back to Kim and Ash to talk this through sensibly before we go anywhere!" Fidget cut across, flying so close to Dust she was practically nose to nose with him. "Ginger would skin me alive if you just went throwing yourself into danger like that!"

Dust took a few deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down. Jarin looked a little spooked by the exchange.

"Is that everything you need because honestly you guys are completely off your rockers," he muttered.

"Unless you can tell us how many men the King has and what his weapons are, yes," Taka replied. Jarin thought for a moment.

"Same tech that was developed for General Gaius' army nearly twenty years ago, with added upgrades," he said.

"Wonderful…" Fidget groaned.

"I don't know how many soldiers he's got, but it's a lot," Jarin added.

"Great," Taka nodded. "Thanks. You've been a help." She beckoned for Dust to start following her back into the plains when Jarin grabbed Dust's tunic, pulling him back for a moment.

"Listen, I don't know what King Julius is up to," he murmured. "All I know is that he's planning something big. I don't know who you are, Dust, or what your deal is with the King, but I don't like this. At all."

"You and me both," Dust agreed.

"I can meet you at the basin tomorrow," Jarin offered. "I can give you more information by then. Like I said, I don't know the full extent of what's going on but I know enough from Ellie that it needs to stop. If you're a friend of hers, you're a friend of mine. I'll help in any way I can."

"You've done enough, Jarin," Dust insisted. "I'm not dragging any more people into this. Go home and stay out of it."

Dust dashed off after Taka before Jarin could protest any further.

* * *

"Everdawn? You're kidding, right?" Kim groaned once Dust and Taka delivered the news.

"I wish we were," Dust sighed. "It's not a place I'm looking forward to going to either."

"Why would he set up camp in the most volatile place in the entire kingdom?" Ash spluttered. "The King is madder than I thought!"

"Well, to paraphrase Elder Grey-Eyes on the matter, what better defence is there?" Fidget huffed. "You guys may not remember but the Moonbloods used pretty much the exact same tactics."

"I remember…sort of," Dust sighed. "And there's more bad news. We think the King has the Eye of the Life Thread."

Ash spat out the tea she had just brewed.

"WHAT?!" she shrieked. "Please tell me you're messing with us, Dust! Because this is not funny!"

"Do I look like I'm joking, Ash?!" Dust snapped. "I don't like this anymore than anybody else here does, but we've still got to go! We don't have a choice!"

"There is always a choice, Kid," Kim began.

"Not this time," Dust countered. "Not for me, anyway. No matter how we slice things, if I'm going to do this, I _have_ to go to Everdawn. Mom's up there and so's the King. This is my only chance to end things and I can't afford to miss it. Not just for Mom's sake but for the sake of all Falana, _especially_ the Moonbloods!" he shouted, tears starting to well up in his eyes. Taka was shocked. She'd known this kid for little less than an afternoon, and she was horrified at the responsibility he'd piled on himself. "Look, if you want, you guys can go home. I won't stop you. You have a choice…" Dust continued, choking on his own sobs. "But I don't…I have to do this…I have to save her…"

He was cut off by Ash throwing her arms around him, pulling him into a comforting embrace.

"I know you do," she murmured soothingly. "And we've discussed this. You're not doing this alone." Dust hiccoughed into the young Mage's shoulder, his shoulders shaking as he let out relieved sobs. "It just threw us off, that's all."

"Ash is right, Kid," Kim smiled gently. "We've got your back. And we're counting on you to have ours as well." Dust nodded, unable to speak through his crying. Taka placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"We should get moving," she suggested. "The Everdawn Basin is a fair walk from here. Even I don't want to spend another night on the Plains."

The group decided to set up camp once they reached the foothills of the Blackmoor Mountains. There, at least, they would be outside of bandit territory and a great deal closer to their destination.

* * *

Dust tossed and turned restlessly in his sleeping back, trying to distract himself by staring at the dancing flames of the campfire. Across from him, Taka was tending to things, taking her shift of the nightly watch while Kim rested. Questions kept going through Dust's head as his gaze shifted to her — what were her connections to the Blades of Elysium? How was it that her family had the Starsheen Knives, a set of weapons that, until now, he'd never heard of?

"You really should be getting some sleep, you know," Taka sighed. Dust winced and sat up — he hadn't thought he was that obvious.

"Can't," he said.

"Bad dreams?" Taka asked. Dust curled into himself — he didn't like admitting to nightmares. He'd hoped he'd grown out of those. "Don't keep it to yourself. It's not healthy."

"I'm fine," Dust insisted. Taka raised a brow — clearly he wasn't. She kept pressing. "I'm just worried about Mom, okay? Last time we were at the Everdawn Volcanoes…" he trailed off, remembering that Taka didn't know his full story.

"What happened?" she pressed gently. Dust took a deep breath.

"There's…something you need to know about me if you're going to be sticking with us," he said carefully. "I only found this out a few days ago…it's still really new to me."

"Does it have anything to do with what Fidget brought up when we were talking to the princess earlier?" Taka guessed. Dust nodded. "What did you mean by 'another lifetime ago'? You can't mean that…"

"I do," Dust sighed. "This isn't my first time living. Fifteen years ago…I was the warrior that stopped Gaius' campaigns against the Moonbloods." Taka gasped quietly in surprise. "Do you remember what Elissa called me?"

"She said something…Sen-Mithrarin, was it?" Taka recalled. "I've never heard that name before."

"It's the name given to the hero that would save the Moonbloods in their hour of greatest need," Dust recited, almost as if remembering an old story. "That was…and still is…me. And fifteen years ago, when I was first around, I died in the Everdawn Volcanoes."

"But…how…?" Taka nearly whispered. "This…this is impossible!"

"I'm sitting here now, aren't I?" Dust huffed sleepily.

"How do you know all of this?"

"Fidget and Ahrah filled me in on a lot when we reunited," Dust explained. "Since then, I've been remembering bits and pieces of what happened last time. I've pretty much remembered everything…some things are still fuzzy…but it scares me. Until about three days ago I was just a normal thirteen-year-old."

"That's…unbelievable," Taka exhaled in awe. "You really are something else, Dust." Dust sighed and shrank further into himself. "What did you and Fidget mean when you said this Eye of the Life Thread is the only thing that is of real threat to you?"

"Well, it's not just the only threat," Dust shrugged, trying to lighten things up for himself and failing miserably. "I mean, I'm still mortal and all and…"

"You're rambling."

"Sorry." Dust paused before continuing hesitantly. "Sen-Mithrarin…is a body made up of two souls. One half is goodness and the will to do the right thing, and the other half is power and the ability to stand up against any foe."

"Well, you're strong for your age," Taka smirked lightly. "Not going to lie. And you're the nicest kid I've certainly met in a while. So you have two souls? That what you're saying?"

"Yeah…" Dust mumbled. "Two souls that are technically a part of the Life Thread." Taka caught on and a small 'Oh' escaped her lips. "They're dormant for now…and hopefully stay that way…but if they were to awaken…" Dust shuddered involuntarily. "If the King has the Eye, then he could take control the souls that rest within me," he explained, his voice quivering. "I'm…I'm scared… He could make me hurt someone…or…or….or worse and then…"

Dust was cut off once more by a pair of arms pulling him close. In his rambling, he hadn't noticed Taka change her position so that she was next to him, pulling him into a hug that wasn't quite maternal, but instead more sororal in nature. Dust froze in shock for a moment — although she had said that she had a sister, he hadn't taken Taka for the sisterly type.

"We won't let you," she promised softly. "If anything happens, you are not going to hurt anyone. We won't let it happen."

Dust's shaky mumbles of protest were muffled by choked sobs. For the first time in the longest time, Dust was scared for himself…he'd been scared for others, but now he wasn't even sure if he knew what he was getting into. He thought he had, but he was now remembering that he wasn't a fully grown Warmblood this time. He was little more than a pup, fighting a war far greater than he could have ever fathomed.

"What if I fail?" he cried softly. Taka patted his head gently.

"You won't," she said soothingly. "You're an Elysian Warrior." _That doesn't mean anything_ , Dust thought. _I'm still just a kid…how can I do this?_ "And you've made it this far. Don't give up just yet. We're going to save your mother, and we're going to put this kingdom to rights. You'll see."

Dust nodded shakily, but he wasn't entirely convinced. He'd saved Falana last time, if only for a while, but he'd _still_ lost his life doing so. As Ahrah had said: sometimes you could do everything right and it still wouldn't be enough.

 _After so long I've now gone home…_

Dust's breath hitched, causing him to choke on a rising sob again. The melody was so recognisable…the lyrics as familiar to him as his own voice.

 _Now that I have reached my journey's end._

That was the lullaby that Ginger used to sing to him.

 _Don't know how long I will be gone…_

Dust's eyes closed as he began to fall asleep in Taka's arms, the lullaby having as much of an effect on him now as it had always done.

 _But I hope that I'll see you again…_

Dust drifted off to sleep, his dreams filled with visions of a past he was still trying to grasp. Some scenes were clearer than crystal, others were hazy but recognisable. Then there were visions that he couldn't recognise; of fireplaces and laughter, of training yards and ringing metal, of snow and flame, and of rich crimson spilling onto fertile ground.

… _my friend._


	14. Arrival at Everdawn

**Arrival at Everdawn**

Dust woke with a stiff neck and a ringing head. Visions of his dreams from the previous night were still flashing through his brain, and it was making his head hurt.

"Wow, Dust…you okay?" Fidget winced when she noticed that her friend had regained consciousness. "You look like a zombie that got beat up by a Trolk then stomped on by a Giant."

"I feel it…" Dust admitted grumpily, shaking his head in an attempt to clear some of the foggy pain. "Everyone else already up?"

"Ready to go when you are," Ash confirmed nearby. "Do you want something before we leave, Dust? Fidget's right. You look like death incarnate."

"Thanks," Dust grumbled. "And please…I think I need it."

"Can't have the hero jumping into battle when he's not on the top of his game," Kim commented, cleaning out his pistols. Dust suddenly felt sick to his stomach — noticing his barfing, Fidget quickly reprimanded Kim (this consisted her biting him sharply at the end of his nose. Needless to say, Kim made significantly less comments aimed at Dust and his abilities as well as the war in general from then on, at least if Dust himself was within earshot).

Ash poured out an additional mug of herbal tea and handed it to Dust — the hot liquid smelt sweet and soothing and when Dust drank it he felt his energy being boosted. It did nothing to calm the butterflies in his stomach, but it was better than feeling like the living dead first thing in the morning.

As Ash began packing up the camp into the pocket dimension she was so fond of using, Taka pulled out a map and began plotting the route.

"I scouted ahead earlier this morning," she explained. "King Julius' troops are stationed near the centre of the basin, here." She pointed out the area and both Fidget and Dust shivered when they noticed the proximity to Gaius' old camp. "The Moonbloods are closer to the Blackmoor Mountains, but their numbers are a lot smaller."

"Our numbers in general have been falling for generations," Ash winced. "We'd only just started to recover before this chaos started."

"It looks like the King's directing his troops around the Moonblood camp," Dust noticed, seeing the pattern that Taka had been drawing out. "We'll need to thin out the flanks before we go for the main base."

"Two sides…divide and conquer for this one?" Kim suggested. Dust nodded.

"Fidget and I will take the northern flank," he decided. "You three take care of things in the south."

"You sure you'll be okay?" Ash frowned in concern.

"He'll be fine," Fidget reassured. "He's got me and Ahrah, hasn't he?" Taka smirked.

"I'm sure we'll have nothing to worry about," she chuckled lightly. "I hear nimbats are quite the magic users."

"You've seen nothing yet," Fidget boasted. It earned her little more than a poke in the ribs from Dust. "HEY!"

"Dust…" Taka growled warningly. Dust shrugged with every ounce of innocence that a thirteen-year-old could muster. In spite of everything, he was still a child. "Our first priority is locating Dust's mother…what was her name?"

"Ginger."

"Our first priority is locating Ginger and getting her to safety," Taka continued. "Once she's safe, we'll go for the King."

"I would exercise caution," the Blade of Ahrah recommended. "The battlefield is not a place for the faint of heart, nor is it a place for the unprepared."

"Did you make sure to stock up on Revival Stones since we've been on this trip, Dust?" Fidget asked. Dust spluttered.

"Those things cost an arm and a leg apiece!" he squeaked. "No way I can afford one of those!"

"Dang…sounds like inflation really hit the economy hard in the last fifteen years," Fidget winced.

"Sereth's bound to be doing the rounds," Ash remembered. "Maybe he can give us a discount?"

"That guy is _still_ in business?!" Fidget shrieked.

"So's Mordecai," Dust pointed out. "Maybe fifteen years isn't as long a time to adults?" he guessed.

"Well, you're not wrong, Kid," Kim shrugged. "Enjoy the teens while you can."

"Doesn't being eighteen still mean you're technically a teenager?" Fidget muttered, just loud enough for Dust to hear. Dust snickered and took relief from his friend's dry humour — the butterflies in his stomach had started to lessen because of it.

Happy with the preparations they had, the team decided to make their way to the Everdawn Basin via the Moonblood camp. There, at the very least, they would have a chance to restock and equip themselves with more battle-ready gear and possibly snag a discount on a Revival Stone or two, just to be on the safe side.

* * *

Dust was being overwhelmed with 'Sen-Mithrarin' this and 'Sen-Mithrarin' that from pretty much the moment he and his party set foot in the Moonblood camp. He was starting to wish that he had taken the satgat from the shop back in Aurora after all…or would that have made him more recognisable?

"If I have to ask one more person to call me 'Dust', I swear by the Overseers…" he mumbled dejectedly.

"Come on, cut them a break," Ash smiled uncertainly. "They're just excited that the reborn Moonblood hero is joining their ranks."

"Considering that this 'hero' is thirteen and only been aware of this whole thing for less than a week?" Dust pouted dryly. "Can we agree that this is just a bit much?"

"Okay, you've got a point," Ash admitted. The group was sitting down in the main camp square, waiting for the next wave of attacks, and Kim and Ash had been kitting themselves out with some new gear. Kim had managed to create some new modifications for his pistols and Ash had been experimenting with her magic, managing to cast a powerful spell which, at first, hadn't appeared to have hurt anyone but further examination of the area had revealed some heavily electrocuted Cloaked Assassins around the camp outskirts. Needless to say, the entire camp was impressed, and Fidget was happy to see that Dust seemed to be particularly admiring of the event and hadn't shut up about it for half an hour.

"If I'm going to be honest, it looks like the Moonbloods have things under relative control around here," Dust noted. "They're not as in bad of a shape as I thought they'd be if there's been a battle going on up here for the past week."

The others agreed. For a camp that had sat out a week long battle already, it wasn't exactly in tatters. Water and electricity were all still in perfectly working shape (thank goodness, neither Fidget nor Dust fancied another trip through lava tubes to get pumps working again) and as far as they'd seen on the way up, supply roots hadn't been cut off either. It was strangely unnerving — whatever the King was planning, he must be certain that his attack would wipe out the Moonbloods in one fell swoop.

"We'd better stop him before he gets the chance," Kim said when Taka voiced this concern out loud. "With any luck, he doesn't even know that Dust is here, or that he has help. We've got the advantage of surprise. Let's use it."

"A tactful strategy if I ever saw one," a familiar voice sounded. The group spun around and were astonished to see Elder Grey-Eyes standing nearby.

"Elder?" Dust exclaimed, nearly falling off the stool he'd been perched on. "What're you doing here?"

"Word reached me of your return to the mountains," Grey-Eyes replied. "Princess Elissa informed me that you had also reached out to a friend of hers by the name of Jarin?"

"Yeah, what about him?" Fidget asked. "Don't tell me he actually went ahead and came up to the basin?"

"That he did, yes," Elder Grey-Eyes confirmed. Dust promptly stood up, walked briskly over to the nearest pile of crates and slammed his forehead down.

"Dust!" Ash shrieked.

"I told him…I told him…I told him…" Dust huffed over and over as he repeatedly slammed his forehead against the crates. Kim strode over and grabbed the boy by the scruff of the neck, lifting him away a few feet from the crates and putting him back on the ground before he gave himself a concussion.

"Okay, quit taking it out on the boxes, Kid," Kim said dryly. "What have they ever done to you?"

"Sorry," Dust mumbled, nursing his forehead where he was sure he was starting to turn red under his fur. He turned to face Elder Grey-Eyes. "Where's he at? I'm guessing you've seen him?"

"He is waiting just outside of the camp," Elder Grey-Eyes said. "He said he had an urgent message for you and you are the only one he will speak to."

"Guess you did make an impression on him, Shrimp," Taka smirked. Dust shouted at her again to drop the nickname but she ignored it and instead faced the Moonblood Elder. "I'm Taka, Elder," she introduced herself. "Met this bunch of misfits on the Plains."

"Once again, _after you tried to…_!" Fidget began when Dust cut across.

"We had a bit of an altercation due to a misunderstanding," he interrupted loudly, clamping a hand over Fidget's mouth. "Cleared up now."

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Taka," Elder Grey-Eyes bowed. He spotted the knives in her belt. "I see you wield the Starsheen Knives." Taka flinched.

"You know of them." It wasn't a question, but a statement.

"Of course," Grey-Eyes nodded. "I myself was an Elysian Warrior a long time ago. I am well versed in origins of those weapons."

"Anything you can tell us, Elder?" Dust asked.

"Perhaps once this battle is over, Dust," Elder Grey-Eyes suggested. "Now is neither the time nor the place. Now hurry along — Jarin is waiting for you."

"Oh, right," Dust winced, dashing off. "Be right back, guys!" he shouted over his shoulder.

"Hey! Wait up!" Fidget squeaked.

Minutes later, Dust had made it to the edge of the Moonblood camp where a familiar white cat Warmblood was waiting.

"Took you long enough," Jarin huffed indignantly. Dust wasn't having any of the attitude, and he didn't care if he was a year younger than the noble-boy. He was at least five years older mentally.

"I told you to stay out of this," he groaned. "I want you to go home as soon as you've delivered your message, you hear me?"

"You can't tell me what to do," Jarin sneered. Dust and Fidget pulled faces — this again?

"I thought we already established that _I'm_ the one with a nimbat?" Dust pointed out. Fidget smirked and crossed her arms smugly.

"Trust me, I will not hesitate to bite your face off if I have to," she warned. "I don't care if you're a mark…whatever."

"You wouldn't," Jarin gulped.

"Oh, she would," Dust nodded with a smirk. "I've seen her."

"Okay, alright! Fine," Jarin huffed. "I got some intel on the King's battle plans last night. I thought you might want to hear it."

"I'm listening," Dust urged.

"He's planning to make a move when the sun is at it's highest point in the sky," Jarin explained. "No say on what that move is, but it's supposed to cause a complete wipeout of opposing forces." Dust glanced at what he could see of the sun — surprisingly, the clouds above the Everdawn Basin were a lot clearer than normal.

"Anything else?" he asked.

"Only that he's hoping that…er, what was the name?" Jarin thought for a moment. "Zen something or other…would make an appearance."

"Sen-Mithrarin?" Dust sighed dryly without thinking.

"Yes…how did you know that?" Jarin frowned.

"Never you mind," Dust growled in frustration. "Why's he hoping on that?"

"Something to do with that red-headed fox Warmblood who as brought before court a few days ago," Jarin recalled. "You said she was your mother?" Dust nodded, his fist growing tighter around the Blade of Ahrah's hilt. "Is this Sen-Mithrarin guy anything to do with you?"

"I said never you mind about that!" Dust snapped. "Is that everything?"

"Umm…yes?" Jarin frowned.

"Good," Dust said firmly. "Then go home."

"Hey! I can fight!" Jarin protested as Dust and Fidget began heading back into camp. "I can lend you guys a hand…"

"We've got things covered," Dust insisted. "Go home."

"Please, just give me a chance here…"

"This isn't a game, Jarin!" Dust snapped. "I can't afford to give you a chance when you could very easily die out there. In case you haven't noticed, _that's a chance I can't afford to take_!"

"But you're going to fight, aren't you?" Jarin pointed out. "And you're barely older than me."

"I'm different," Dust said shortly.

"How are you different?"

"He said never you mind about that!" Fidget snapped. "Now drop it and stay out of this. Go home."

She and Dust left Jarin by the edge of the camp before he could make any further protests. Dust stormed back over to the rest of the group, face thunderous in frustration.

"I take it the brat gave you a few issues," Taka grimaced.

"He only wanted to join the fight," Dust growled. "No matter how many times I told him to stay out of it he kept asking. He doesn't know what he'd be getting into, the absolute…!"

"Dust, stay calm," Ahrah spoke. Dust took a few deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down.

"Do any of us really know what we're getting into?" Ash asked nervously. Dust and Fidget cast her a look. "Even you two."

"Ash is right, Dust," Elder Grey-Eyes said. "You may have indeed fought in great battles in your previous life, but this is something none of us could have imagined. It would be a lie to say that anyone was truly prepared."

"Well, we know when the King is planning to make his big move," Dust explained. "Jarin got word that the King plans to do something when the sun is at its highest point." He frowned with worry. "We also found out that the King's the one who has the Eye of the Life Thread." Elder Grey-Eyes froze for a moment before sighing.

"I feared as much," he said. "Then we must only hope that he does not know the names of your dormant souls, Dust."

"Look, we're going to end this before the King even gets a chance to try anything with that Eye," Fidget promised. "No one's going to be using any ancient soul-Voodoo on Dust on my watch!"

"Thanks, Fidget," Dust smiled despite himself.

"Not on our watch, either," Ash grinned, clenching her fists with determination. Elder Grey-Eyes chuckled fondly.

"Well, with the display of power you showed earlier, I have no doubt that you will greatly aid Dust in the battle to come," he smiled. "I thought that the Flameless Light had long been lost to Moonbloods, but you, Ashelin, have proved otherwise."

"Wait…Flameless Light?" Ash blinked in surprise. Dust's eyes went wide in amazement. He vaguely recalled mention of the old Way of the Cynthak, and that it had been lost to the eras. "What I did was…?"

"And I thought your magic was already impressive," Kim smiled proudly. "Your dad would be proud."

"I certainly am," a voice smiled from behind the group. Ash spun around and her face lit up in a mix of joy and amazement.

"Papa!" she greeted, running over to Sanjin as she saw him. "What are you doing here?"

"I was called up from Denham to help with the war effort," Sanjin explained. "I must admit, I was expecting to see you lot here sooner or later."

"They've got my mom here, Sanjin," Dust said. "I can't sit back and do nothing." Sanjin nodded in understanding. "Looks like things are relatively under control here."

"Well, we could still use the help," Sanjin said. "We have better weapons than last time we faced battle, but the King's armies still outgun and outnumber us ten to one."

"Bah," Fidget smirked. "We've got it covered."

"That's good to hear," Sanjin chuckled. "We plan to form the next wave of attack soon. The soldiers are nearly ready to go again."

"We're going to have to make this wave count," Dust said. "The King's planning a huge move at midday, one that's supposed to wipe out the opposition in one fell swoop. We have to make sure he doesn't get the chance."

"The Moonbloods look to you, Dust," Sanjin nodded. "We are right behind you." Dust forced a smile which came out more as a grimace. You couldn't blame the kid for trying, though.

"Right. Let's not keep them waiting."


	15. Awakened

**Awakened**

On the other side of the battlefield, a lion Warmblood with golden fur and a blazing red mane overlooked the Everdawn Basin. Garbed in royal blue robes and silver armour that shone like fire in the angry light of the volcanoes, King Julius looked every part of the sovereign of a kingdom. His army's camp was a far cry from the Moonbloods', well defended and equipped well beyond what their enemies had. In his hand he held a golden sceptre, inlaid with precious gems and topped with a diamond the size of one's fist.

"This…is the day this all ends," he spoke softly. His soldiers stood below, awaiting the order to move forward into the next wave of attack. King Julius set his gaze upon them and raised his voice, addressing them all. "No matter what happens, we fight for peace in Falana!" he roared, earning rapturous cries from his men. "Today…is the beginning of a new era for our kingdom!"

"Liar…" a hateful snarl sounded behind him. King Julius sighed and turned around to face the source of the noise — a red-headed fox Warmblood being guarded by two soldiers. She was looking worse for wear, sporting a thin crust of blood around her nose and a black eye, but nonetheless alive.

"I don't expect a sympathiser of filth to understand," King Julius growled back. Ginger glared daggers at him, as if the deadly fire in her eyes would be enough to send the man six feet under.

"What have they ever done to you?!" she demanded. "And he won't be stupid enough to fall for your tricks…"

"We shall see," the King said with an ominous quiet to his voice. "I don't intend to fail where Gaius did." Ginger inhaled sharply and struggled against the guards holding her back. She was hardly at full strength but if given the chance she would not have hesitated to give the man a piece of her mind. "You shall see, Sympathiser. By the day's end, the race you so desperately tried to protect will be destroyed, and their precious hero will answer to me."

"Dust would never," Ginger snarled. "He didn't answer to Gaius and he sure as hell won't answer to you!"

Her outburst earned her little more than a sharp strike across the face.

"Let us see if that remains to be true," Julius growled softly. He turned to face his soldiers once more. "Move forward! If you see the white fox, let him come to me. Cut down everyone else who raises a sword against you."

Another roar of support sounded from the soldiers. On the dais where the king stood, Ginger felt sick to her stomach. She could see the soldiers surging forward to meet the army of Moonbloods ahead. She could hear the explosions of the King's canons, the ringing of swords and spears clashing blades, and the sparks of electricity as a powerful burst of lightning short circuited the cloaking devices of the assassins…

Wait, lightning?

"SURPRISE!" a voice cheered as a flash of blue-white streaked over the main battle. Ginger gasped in amazement at the sound — she knew that voice, even if she'd only met the speaker on a handful of occasions.

King Julius' army was thrown into chaos as a young Moonblood girl, followed by an older Moonblood and a squirrel Warmblood began charging through the southern wave of the battle. From a distance, Ginger couldn't see their faces but the sound of pistols going off told her than one of them had to be Kim, and the Moonblood wielding magic could be none other than Sanjin's daughter, Ashelin.

"WHAT?!" Julius exclaimed angrily. As of yet, his army had not come across any Mages in the Moonblood ranks, and now here came one with a spell that had just wiped out half of his assassins and deactivated the cloaking devices on the other half, leaving them vulnerable to Moonblood counterattacks. Ginger felt a smile creeping across her face without prompt. Ashelin had been practising magic when she'd met her last, but this was on an entirely new level. With her on side, the Moonbloods stood a chance.

* * *

"Team Elysium coming through!" Ash smirked as she struck Kim's pistols with a spell, enhancing his bullets with homing capabilities and some more explosive firepower. Taka was tearing through the Royal Army with astonishing speed, her knives moving so quickly that they left a streak of silver-blue behind them.

An order was shouted across the battlefield from the king to take out the trio but any attempt to do so was countered by the Moonblood forces, including a faction of Warmblood sympathisers who had arrived to aid them in the fight. Thanks to the information that had been provided earlier, the Moonblood forces weren't focusing their efforts on forcing the King's army back too much, merely holding their own defences. If they could occupy the King for long enough, he wouldn't get the chance to attack when the sun reached its highest point in the sky. As long as they held out past that point in the day, then they could charge forward.

Preoccupied with the chaos in the southern wave of his troops, King Julius didn't notice what was happening in the north. It wasn't until a foot-soldier came running up to the dais, out of breath and with eyes wide under his helmet, that he turned his attention towards it.

A powerful wind had begun blowing from the northern side of the battlefield, sending hot gusts of air from the volcanoes in all directions. Accompanying the wind were bursts of light, fire and lightning, often in rapid succession. Squinting, Ginger could make out a flash of cyan, closely followed by a streak of orange.

Along with the wind, there was only one person it could be.

"Dust?" she whispered without thinking. King Julius smirked — the bait had drawn in the prey.

"Sen-Mithrarin," he noted. " _Now_ we have a fight."

In the north, Dust was tearing through the opposition with an entire legion of Moonbloods at his back. The feeling of strength that he'd felt when the Blade of Ahrah had returned to him near the Glade came back to him in full force, unleashing a power the thirteen-year-old himself had never even fathomed or dared to dream about. He was drawing nearer and nearer to the King and could just about see Ginger standing nearby.

"Hang on, Mom…" he whispered to himself. "I'm coming." He sent Fidget on ahead and the nimbat gladly obliged, divebombing the guards holding Ginger captive as well as taking a potshot at King Julius while she was at it.

"ARGH!" Julius grunted, as a ball of energy struck him in the face. The guards holding Ginger had both suffered lightning strikes which gave Ginger the opportunity to race forward, grabbing the nearest weapon (which just so happened to be a spear) and charge at the King, who deftly blocked her attacks. Fidget in the meantime hurried back to Dust's side to continue helping him out.

"You can't take them down!" Ginger shouted with fearsome determination flashing through her eyes. "The Moonbloods have gotten stronger!" King Julius cast a quick glance to the sky. Amidst the smoky clouds, he could see the sun.

It had reached its highest point in the sky.

"Then it's a good thing that my army won't fall to their weapons," he sneered as the diamond atop his sceptre began glowing. Ginger froze in horror at the sight, taken aback long enough for the king to raise the sceptre skyward where the diamond began to glow even brighter. He began to shout an incantation to the skies, one in a language that no one recognised, and in response a ribbon of light streamed from the diamond, dancing across the sky like a river…

Until it tore the sky apart.

From the tear in the cosmos, a burst of cyan light momentarily blinded the entire battlefield. When it cleared enough for people to see, spectral beings began to appear, with appearances of both soldiers and assassins.

"What's he doing?!" Dust cried in confusion. From the other side of the battlefield, Taka and the Moonbloods were also frozen in horror.

"Is that…the Life Thread?" Taka realised in terror. At Dust's side, the Blade of Ahrah went cold.

"This is…forbidden magic…" it spoke, with a tone that was the first suggestion of horror that Dust had ever heard from the Blade.

Dust forced himself to snap out of his horrified trance to fight the new forces…they hadn't been fast enough. The sun had risen too high without them realising, and the plan to keep the king distracted had failed. To make matters worse, ordinary weapons had no effect on the spectral soldiers that the King had summoned…that gem atop his sceptre could be none other than the Eye of the Life Thread. Dust was having little to no issues with the Blade of Ahrah, and across the battlefield Taka was making do with the Starsheen Knives, but apart from that only Ash's Flameless Light was having any effect on the ghostly beings, and the spell took a lot of energy for the girl to cast.

"Rise and fight again, my loyal subjects!" King Julius bellowed into the battle. "Leave no enemy standing! Raze those who stand against you to the ground…!"

"STOP IT!" Ginger shrieked, throwing herself at the king in a desperate attempt to wrench the sceptre from his grasp. However, unbalanced and overpowered, she found herself being thrown backwards into the makeshift throne that King Julius had brought along to his army's camp. Dazed, Ginger barely had time to register the sound of a sword being drawn from its sheath and King Julius standing over her, blade poised to strike…

 _CRASH!_

The king was knocked off his feet by a burst consisting of energy, fire and lightning all at the same time, its strength magnified by a powerful storm-strength wind that kicked up a cloud of ash and dust from the ground. Through the light given off by the volcanoes, only a silhouette was visible through the haze and the king shook himself out of a mild concussion from the blast. When the cloud cleared, it revealed the one that King Julius had been searching for…

Although he hadn't been expecting him to _actually_ be a child, regardless of what his soldiers had been telling him.

"Don't. You dare. Touch her," Dust growled, the Blade of Ahrah poised in a defensive position as he stood protectively in front of Ginger. Fidget hovered in the air next to him, teeth bared in an angry snarl, and the runes on the Blade of Ahrah glowed bright cyan, almost giving off a light blue smoke whenever the sword moved.

"You…" King Julius hissed. Dust glanced at Ginger and helped her to her feet.

"You okay, Mom?" he asked in concern. Ginger nodded and accepted the offered hand.

"Yes, thank you," she panted.

"Let's get you out of here," Dust said, dragging her off the dais and through the clearest path he could find.

"You really are nought but a child!" King Julius spat after the boy who shot a retort over his shoulder.

"SO WE KEEP ESTABLISHING!"

On the battlefield itself, things were going from bad to worse for the Moonblood army and their allies. There was nothing anyone could do to stem the flow of ghostly beings streaming from the Life Thread, and Ash was worn out from constantly trying to cast Flameless Light to clear the fields. Even arrows, which were being shot expertly from somewhere-no-one-knew-where-exactly where doing nothing to them, only cutting down regular soldiers which then added to the spectral masses.

"What are these things?!" Taka yelled, grateful that her knives were at least effective against them, but she was stuck protecting Kim and Ash who, while Ash was recovering, had no means of defending themselves against the spectres, which in turn _could_ harm and kill the mortal soldiers of the Moonblood army.

"Ghosts?" Kim hazarded a guess. "Whatever they are, normal weapons aren't working against them!"

Dust cut through another wave of the spectre-soldiers and assassins as they came charging towards him and Ginger. He glanced back at the dais where the King was still chanting incantations to the tear in the sky.

He had no other choice. He had to stop this before it was too late for the Moonbloods…for all of Falana.

"Mom, find Sanjin!" he instructed, breaking away from Ginger and racing back towards the king. "I've got to put an end to this!" Ginger nodded and kept running in the other direction.

"Dust, be careful!" she shouted over her shoulder.

Cutting through as many of the Souldiers (as Fidget was dubbing them) as he could, Dust made his way back to the dais where King Julius hadn't moved. Recalling his conversation with Elissa, Dust couldn't help but notice how different they both were despite their familial relationship. As he shouted to get the King's attention, Dust was struck by how different the eyes were: whereas Elissa's had been fiery violet, there had been a warmth behind them. These eyes were steely grey and ice cold.

"So _this_ is the great Sen-Mithrarin who cut down my best General," King Julius noted as Dust and Fidget stood on the dais across from him. "My soldiers said you'd taken the form of a child. I must say, at first I was expecting someone…older."

"If I or anyone else has to explain the whole rebirth thing _one more time_ …" Fidget grumbled. Dust let the comment slide and began trying to talk some sense into the man. If he could avoid too much bloodshed he would, and the last thing he wanted to do was to throw the kingdom into chaos by killing its king.

"All of this war and destruction…and for what?" he asked. "Racial purification?" Dust could vaguely remember Ginger saying something about how General Gaius had seen the Moonbloods as some kind of divine mistake, so he could only assume that the king felt a similar motive. He tried going for reason. "Your Majesty, please. The Moonbloods…they are an intelligent, amazing race that can help better this country!" he implored. King Julius, who until then had seemed to pay little attention to the boy-hero's pleas, turned around and seemed to look at Dust with a face that seemed to be searching for something.

"Is that truly what you believe, my old friend?" he asked. Dust froze, taken aback by the statement.

"What?" he exclaimed. Fidget looked just as confused.

"Excuse you?" she frowned. The King smirked slightly and continued, pacing around Dust on the dais as the battle around them seemed to quieten.

"There isn't a person in Falana that doesn't know of Sen-Mithrarin's exploits fifteen years ago," he explained. "But there are only a few who know who you truly are," he added, almost sadly as he looked at Dust with an near-regretful expression. "I am lucky to be one of those few…and I plan to free you from this curse that those Moonbloods have placed you under," he growled, a sudden determination ringing in his voice. Dust tensed and raised the Blade of Ahrah defensively.

"What are you talking about?" he demanded. "I am _not_ your friend! I never was!" Fidget was getting apprehensive. This conversation sounded oddly familiar, and the King was talking to Dust as if he already knew him…

"Not as they made you, but you were once, many years ago," King Julius corrected. "Don't you remember, Cassius?"

" _What_ did you call me?!" Dust snapped. The name was unfamiliar to him, but Fidget recognised it and clapped two hands over her mouth to stop herself from screaming. This wasn't good…

"Uh-oh…" she mumbled fearfully. "Not this again…" Except this time it was worse. Now that the name had been spoken…

"Don't you remember the hours we spent training together?" the King asked, almost desperately. Dust had lowered the Blade of Ahrah, his face creasing up as if in pain. Fidget kept a nervous eye on him…one of his souls was awakening, and with it, memories were starting to resurface. "The days we spent hunting in the forest? The battles we faced side by side?!"

"No…" Dust said shakily, his hand rising to his head. "These aren't… That wasn't…"

"Oh, no," Fidget whimpered, helpless to do anything to stop what was happening before her, or at the very least unsure as to whether she could do anything.

"Gaius could not break the spell they placed on you, Cassius," Julius continued. "I swear, for his sake and yours, I will not fail." Dust dropped the Blade of Ahrah, bringing both hands to his head.

"No…stop it…" he begged.

"Dust, focus!" the Blade of Ahrah called. "Fight this!"

"Stop it! Stop it! STOP IT!" Dust screamed, falling to his knees. Fidget flew down to his eye level to try comforting him, trying to do something to help him fight whatever was happening. She was so focused on her friend that she failed to notice the Eye of the Life Thread starting to glow atop Julius' sceptre.

"Dust? Dust!" Fidget cried desperately. "Focus on me! Focus on my voice!"

"So much…rushing…into…my head…" Dust panted, his voice ringing with pain.

"Don't you remember, Cassius?!" the King asked again.

"That's not…that's not my name…" Dust mumbled, his voice losing conviction with every sentence.

"Don't you remember your duty?" King Julius demanded. "Don't you remember your friends?!"

"I…" Dust began, but seemed to no longer have the ability to form a coherent sentence in a single breath. "That…changes…nothing…" Fidget could tell she was losing him.

"Dust!" she screamed. "Look at me! Stay with me!"

"Come back to us, Cassius!" King Julius ordered. "Come back to where you belong!" he shouted. Dust could no longer fight the pain, and with an anguished scream fell forwards onto the ground unconscious. As he did, the Blade of Ahrah stopped glowing and went cold and silent, clattering to the floor uselessly.


	16. Sacrifice

**Sacrifice**

Dust's cry of anguish tore through the Everdawn Basin, halting the battle on both sides as the Souldiers vanished. It gave the Moonbloods little reprieve, as the knowledge that their hero was in pain gave them no comfort. Horrified and worried beyond their wits, Ginger, Sanjin, Ash, Kim and Taka began racing back towards the dais within the Royal Army side of the battlefield, meeting little to no resistance along the way.

Back by King Julius, Fidget was desperately shaking the body of her friend, still lying unmoving on the ground, his face down and hair covering what might have otherwise been visible.

"Dust? Dust!" Fidget yelled. "Wake up! Come on! Get up!"

Almost as soon as he'd blacked out, Dust began to stir and, after a few moments, pushed himself upright. Fidget's relief was short lived, as she quickly noticed that the Blade of Ahrah hadn't blinked back into life.

"Dust?" the nimbat squeaked nervously. "Are you…are you okay?"

"Dust?" a husked voice came from underneath's Dust's tangled mess of silver hair. Fidget squeaked in confusion — why had he said the name like he didn't even recognise it? Fidget's nervous confusion turned into utter horror when the boy turned to face her.

Those eyes weren't the eyes of her Elysian Warrior. They weren't the eyes of her best friend.

These eyes were blood red, and murderous.

"EEK!" Fidget screamed in terror. "D-D-Dust?!" she stammered.

"That is _not_ my name!" the boy shouted, striking out at the nimbat before she had time to react. The blow sent Fidget flying across the battlefield, spinning, dazed and out of control. Luckily, Ginger caught the nimbat before she hit the ground.

"Fidget!" Ginger exclaimed as she caught her. "Fidget, are you okay?"

"D…Dust…" Fidget stammered weakly in reply. "He's…done something…to Dust…"

But the others were already well ahead of Ginger and didn't hear the nimbat's warnings. On the dais, the boy-who-was-not-Dust rose to his feet before kneeling before King Julius. When he spoke, his voice still had the youthfulness of the young Dust, but had a different quality to it: cold, calculating, and old beyond his years.

"Your Majesty," he greeted formally, "I am in your debt."

"It has been too long, my friend," King Julius smiled. "Rise, Cassius."

The boy answered to the name without question, and rose once more to a standing position. His eyes examined his youthful form, narrowed and sharp.

"Those Moonbloods cursed my soul into this form, did they not?" he asked, his voice dripping with hate.

"You are correct, my friend," the King confirmed. "They twisted your mind, tricked you into killing your own comrades…as well as your friend."

"Gaius…" Cassiust spoke softly, for the first time his voice ringing with something akin to regret. King Julius picked up the Blade of Ahrah and handed it to the boy. The sword was silent, and did not start glowing again as Cassiust's hand closed around the hilt.

"Let us make those beasts pay for what they have done to you," Julius said. Cassiust nodded, and it was at that moment that Ash and Kim arrived.

"Dust!" Ash shouted, her finger stuck into a page in her magic tome. Next to her, Kim drew his pistols and pointed them at the King.

"Step away from him!" he warned. Neither Dust nor King Julius paid any heed to the threat.

"Listen to these creatures," King Julius sneered. "Still believing that you belong to them." The Moonbloods frowned and shared a glance. What was going on? "Show them who you truly are. Show them what happens when a soul is released from their magic."

The boy turned around to face the Moonbloods, who staggered in confusion and horror at the sight of his eyes. Red, deadly…and yet somehow eerily blank, despite how sharp they were.

"Dust…what's he done to you?" Kim asked shakily, backing off as the boy approached. Ash followed suit.

"Whatever he's been telling you, it's not true!" Ash insisted. "We know who you really are and you're not…"

"Quiet," Cassiust hissed. "You Moonbloods defiled my soul…stripped it away from the Life Thread when my life rightfully ended!" His words were bitter and dripping with hate and anger.

"Dust, that wasn't…!" Kim began to protest but Cassiust had already raised the Blade of Ahrah, preparing to strike.

"My name is not Dust!" he yelled, striking out with the sword. Kim barely pulled Ash out of harm's way as she screamed in terror and the two began to run, unwilling to unleash magic or bullets on the boy they'd come to consider such a close friend. Cassiust was hot on their heels and soon cut them off by a small lava lake.

"Kid, stop this!" Kim begged, defending Ash the best he could.

"My king has freed me from your spell and I intend to honour my debts!" Cassiust shouted. "Be gone from this world!" He began to attack once more. Ash screamed his name in desperation but the blow was blocked by a spear — it was Sanjin.

"Sen-Mithrarin!" the Moonblood engineer grunted. "Have you gone mad?!" The name seemed to enrage Cassiust even more than 'Dust' had.

"Do not call me that! I am _not_ your puppet!" he bellowed. Sanjin yelled at Kim and Ash to run, knowing that while he could not hope to match the boy's skill, he could at least buy his only child and her friend some time to escape.

Cassiust was skilled, and somehow seemed even stronger and faster than Dust himself had been even though his physical body did not appear to have changed. Sanjin was only able to block a small number of blows, but everything else was too fast to predict. Cassiust fought with every inch of skill and speed as any other assassin and Sanjin realised that this was because that was what this boy had become…the soul of the assassin had been awakened.

Sanjin eventually found himself disarmed and thrown to the floor, with the warrior-turned-assassin that was no more than a boy poised to deal an ending blow over him. Exhausted from the heat of the volcanoes and the fight itself, Sanjin tried once more to appeal to the hero that he'd once fought alongside.

"Dust…please…" he panted. "This isn't you…wake up!"

Cassiust let out a yell of pure frustration and began bringing the Blade of Ahrah downwards towards Sanjin — it would have no doubt run the Moonblood in two if it weren't for Taka's timely intervention.

"Ungh…!" she grunted and she forced the boy away from Sanjin — Cassiust was strong, but he was still only thirteen. "Snap out of it, Kid!" Cassiust snarled at her.

"You're no better than any of that filth!" he growled. "If you stand with my enemy, you will fall to my blade!" Take shoved him away and shifted into a fighting stance, one knife poised above her head and the other held in front of her. Her face shifted into a deadly glare — if anyone was going to knock Dust back to his senses, she was going to do her darnedest to try.

"Bring it, Shrimp," she hissed, inviting the confrontation. By now, Ash and Kim were a safe distance for Cassiust to not go after them, but now it was Sanjin's turn to retreat to safety. Taka didn't know if she could beat Cassiust, but she knew that she had to buy time, and she was both stronger and faster than Sanjin.

The fight resumed, and Taka was much more able to keep up with Cassiust's attacks and was even able to attempt a few strikes of her own. Cassiust was still fast, and blocked each blow and parry with ease that Taka hadn't seen in Dust when they'd fought merely the previous day. In the end, Taka grew weary and although she refused to fall to her knees, she too became exhausted from the heat of the Everdawn Basin combined with the strain of fighting.

"Stop…stop this!" she pleaded. "The king has you under some kind of spell!" Taka couldn't think of any other reasonable explanation for her friend's sudden change in behaviour.

"Shut up!" Cassiust snapped. Taka could see his eyes, and noticed the same blankness behind the sharp red. Something wasn't right about this boy…even though the conviction behind his cutting words were there, _he himself_ didn't seem to be all there in his eyes.

"Dust, listen to me!" Taka implored. "You're not thinking clearly…"

"And stop calling me 'Dust'!" Cassiust cut across, again swinging the Blade of Ahrah to kill but this time he wasn't interrupted by another weapon blocking his path, but rather an arrow suddenly caught his sleeve and buried itself into a nearby stake. Another well aimed arrow stuck itself into the same stake, this time going through the boy's trouser leg. The attack caught both Cassiust's and Taka's attentions, and spinning around Taka was astounded to see Jarin standing on a boulder a short distance away, another arrow knocked into an ebony bow inlaid with silver and ivory.

"You…!" Taka spluttered.

"Ginger asked me to help," Jarin cut across before Taka could reprimand him. "You alright?" Taka nodded, speechless from the shock. Things only continued to escalate as Ginger herself ran over towards Cassiust, unarmed and undefended.

"Dust!" she cried, with every tone of firmness as would come from a mother. "Enough!"

By this time, Cassiust had wrenched the arrows from the stake and had freed himself — the arrows themselves hadn't cut flesh, merely torn fabric, so he himself was unharmed. A flash of recognition crossed his eyes when he saw Ginger, but it wasn't because Dust was recognising his mother.

"You…" he murmured before his voice raised in tone again. "You were from that village in the mountains… A Moonblood Sympathiser!" Ginger stood her ground, unfazed. In the background, the Moonblood army had all but retreated. Sanjin, Ash and Kim stood nearby, with Ash cradling a still weak and frightened Fidget in her arms.

"Dust, listen to me!" Ginger ordered firmly. "This is _not_ you!"

"Your precious 'Dust' is gone!" Cassiust snapped, as if saying that for the tenth time would finally make the others listen to him. "My king has awakened me from a slumber I never knew I was in… I will _not_ fall under such spells again!" Something about the boy's statement made Ginger pause in thought for the briefest of moments.

 _Awakened?_

Elder Grey-Eyes had spoken of Dust's souls awakening if their names were ever spoken…

"Son…please," Ginger murmured gently, kneeling down so that she was at eye-level with Cassiust, who in turn paused momentarily at the movement. "Don't do this…"

"This 'Dust' is your son?" Cassiust snarled. Ginger nodded, tears starting to well up in her eyes.

"Please…I beg of you," she whispered. "Give him back to me."

"He is gone," Cassiust insisted, his resolve returning. "It will bring me no more pleasure to kill you than it did for me to kill that boy all those years ago, but you stand with my enemy. And I will cut you down."

Once more, the Blade of Ahrah was raised. Taka had backed off a short distance during the exchange in the hopes that Ginger would be able to get through to Dust, but now she jolted forwards to protect the woman.

"GINGER!" she yelled.

"MOVE!" Sanjin shouted, but Ginger remained in her kneeled position. Her eyes stayed fixed on Cassiust's face, when she suddenly closed them as if in a desperate plea as she shrieked…

"JIN! HELP HIM!"

Cassiust suddenly jolted, as if having a severe reaction to Ginger's words, and stumbled forwards, fumbling with the Blade of Ahrah before it fell from his grasp and clattered to the ground. Ginger caught the boy before his face became best friends with the floor and watched as his eyes went as wide as saucers, suddenly seeming much clearer than before as they switched from crimson red to the same blue as her own.

"Wha…what's going on?" he murmured with a fearful confusion. "What am I…doing here?"

"Dust?" Ginger frowned. The boy looked up at her, his eyes constantly switching between dark blue, crimson red, and the pale silver-blue that Ginger knew her son to have.

"Ginger?" Dust shook, no doubt addressing the woman with Jin's soul in the foreground. "What's going…? Why am I…?" Ginger hugged the boy close and began rocking him gently in an attempt to calm him down.

"Dust, deep breaths," she said gently. "I'm here…"

On the dais, King Julius was enraged. He raised his sceptre skyward, the Eye of the Life Thread glowing dangerously.

"No!" he bellowed. "Cassius! Fight against it! Strike them down! I command it!"

Dust began flinching again, once more battling against the magic that the king controlled. He turned around in Ginger's arms to face the King, but made no move to answer him…instead he looked at him with an expression of pure betrayal on his face as his eyes flashed red again.

"No! No…stop it…" he begged. "Your Majesty…Julius…" he spoke, the colder voice of Cassius returning but this time laced with fear and confusion. "What are you doing?!"

"Do not question your king!" Julius roared. "I order you to raise your blade and strike these traitors down!"

The Eye shone like a small sun and Dust cried out in pain, clutching his head as he tried to block out the magic that was ever threatening to take control of him again. Ginger pulled him even closer to her, as if she could somehow act as a shield to the power of the mystical gem.

"Block it out, Dust!" she pleaded. "Focus on me! Listen to my voice!" she continued, shouting above the ambiance of the Eye. "I'm right here, I'm not going anywhere!" she promised.

"Stop…please…!" Dust whimpered. "I won't…"

"I COMMAND IT!" King Julius bellowed with every ounce of anger as a raging storm. The power from the Eye of the Life Thread surged so greatly that even the others felt it. The pain too much to bear, Dust wrenched himself away from Ginger as he continued to struggle against the pull of the magic seeking to place him under control again. Ribbons of light began snaking around him, as if trying to chain him and bind him into submission, and Ginger and the others could do little else but watch helplessly as they tried to call out to their friend.

Dust eventually raised his head after what felt like an eternity, but to everyone's amazement, his eyes were still pale-blue; shining in defiance as he glared at King Julius. His irises flashed between pale blue, red and dark blue when they suddenly closed and Dust himself fell limp to the floor, the ribbons of light vanishing in fragments that dissipated into the smoky air.

"DUST!" Ginger screamed, scrambling over and picking up her unconscious son. He was as limp as a doll in her arms. The others raced over, with Fidget squirming out of Ash's arms and onto Dust's chest as Elder Grey-Eyes also joined the scene.

"D…Dust!" Fidget cried, trying to wake her friend by tugging his hair. Ginger shook him as much as she dared.

"Sweetheart!" she yelled desperately. "Come on, Scamp! Wake up! Look at me!"

"Come on, Dust!" Ash shouted.

"Don't do this now!" Jarin cut in. Elder Grey-Eyes stooped down and noted the silence of the Blade of Ahrah. He examined Dust briefly before glancing upwards — the Souldiers were closing in.

"There is a way to help him, Ginger," he said quickly. "For now, you must leave this place."

"What do we do, Elder?" Ginger asked, clutching Dust close. "How do we help him?"

"Seek out Lady Tethys," Elder Grey-Eyes instructed. "She will be able to help you. You will find her in the depths of the Cirromon Caverns." He urged the party to get moving as the Souldiers began congregating once more, joined by the Royal Army forces. The group ran for the Blackmoor Mountains with Ash gathering as much energy as she could to cast one final Flameless Light. It cleared out some of their pursuers, but not nearly enough for them to be in the clear.

"We're not getting out of this," Kim panted. Sanjin turned around, unable to glance over his shoulder due to an unconscious Dust being slung over them.

"You are," Elder Grey-Eyes assured. "Keep going, and remember — seek out out Lady Tethys."

"Elder?" Ginger frowned as Grey-Eyes stopped in his tracks and turned to face the oncoming army.

"You must leave, Ginger," he insisted. "I will keep them at bay long enough for you to escape." The elderly Moonblood's plan was all too obvious.

"But…!"

"Go!" he ordered. Seeing that there was no changing his mind, Taka began dragging Ginger and Ash away while Jarin tugged at Sanjin and Kim's arms to keep them moving. As they ran, Elder Grey-Eyes planted his staff into the ground and began murmuring an incantation in Ancient Cynthak, bringing forth a river of light from fissures in the very ground itself. The Souldiers could not stand its power, and neither could the Royal Army…

…nor could any living being in the near vicinity.

"Dust…" Elder Grey-Eyes spoke softly as the light began to engulf him. "I am sorry…for everything. I hope that someday, you find peace. Forgive me."

As the spell tore through the Everdawn Basin, the party consisting of Ginger, Fidget, Ash, Kim, Sanjin, Taka, Jarin and an unconscious Dust reached the Blackmoor Mountains, turning around only to see the light tear a valley in the mountains that made up the volcanoes, and a void in which the husked screams of souls…both living and dead…could be heard as they were dragged back to the Life Thread.

The Moonbloods and Ginger broke into tears. For a few moments, the group stood on the mountain side, silent in mourning as Ash conjured a tiny memorial into a boulder:

 _In memory of Moonblood Elder Grey-Eyes._

 _A warrior, mentor, and leader._

 _May the Overseers of Elysium grant him peace._


	17. Return to Aurora

**Return to Aurora**

The group trekked through the Blackmoor Mountains for the rest of the day, led mostly by Ginger as they bypassed New Zeplich in case they were being followed. Dust still hadn't regained consciousness, and so Sanjin, Taka and Kim took it in turns carrying him, Ginger still recovering from her stint in captivity.

"We were so close…" Ash mumbled, clutching her magic tome as close to her as she could as well as wrapping a shivering Fidget into her shawl. "We almost had it…"

"We can't dwell on it, Ashelin," Sanjin sighed mournfully. "We must press onwards." Fidget poked her head out into the evening blizzard, looking worriedly at the lifeless form on her friend slung over Sanjin's shoulders.

"Any sign of life?" she squeaked quietly.

"Not a peep," Jarin shook his head, trailing slightly behind the Moonblood engineer. Not for the first time since they'd entered the mountains, Taka shot a confused glare at the young marquess.

"You could have stayed out of all of this," she pointed out. "Why did you come with us?"

"Aren't you the Marky of Ivydale? Or whatever it's called?" Fidget remembered. Jarin spat into the snow and tensed visibly, in the growing blizzard.

"If being a marquess means following that monster…" he spat, referring to the king. "Then that's not what I want." He stood firm, hugging his coat around him as much as he could. "We discussed this. I'm helping you with this whether you like it or not. I wasn't able to help Dust this time but Overseers be damned if I can't do something now."

By this point, no one was particularly opposed to Jarin accompanying the team. He'd proven himself as good a shot as Kim with his bow, so the additional offensive and defensive support was welcomed now that Dust was out of action. To Taka and Fidget's relief, he'd also stopped acting so stuck up for the most part — clearly witnessing such tragedy at Everdawn Basin had had a profound impact on the boy, but Taka and Fidget's relief was short-lived in the knowledge that a boy not yet fifteen had already witnessed such horror in his life.

As the blizzard grew worse, the others began asking Ginger if they could find a cave to wait out the storm, but she seemed insistent that she knew where she was going.

"If they're looking for us, they won't think of looking here!" she shouted over the growing storm. Ash squinted through the snow and could make out shadows which vaguely resembled buildings. "We can rest here for the night and then make our way to Aurora tomorrow!"

Slowly, something that looked vaguely like a village came into sight, but through the blizzard it quickly became apparent that the village itself had not been lived in for quite some time. Nearly all of the houses were completely destroyed.

"Isn't this…?" Kim asked. Sanjin recognised the area.

"This is Zeplich Village," he realised. Of course Ginger would lead the team here. Destroyed sixteen years ago, it was the likely the last place that the Royal Army would think to look. There were bad memories here for Ginger, Sanjin knew that, but it was at least some form of sanctuary. Ginger brought the team to a house near the centre of town, one that looked remarkably intact save for a few broken windows and a ransacked interior.

"Well, it's more stable than your cottage on the Plains," Kim muttered to Taka who would have smacked him if she hadn't been boarding up the windows to keep out the cold.

"Is this where you used to live?" Ash asked as Ginger dug out some old, moth-eaten blankets, bringing them upstairs. The young Moonblood also summoned tiny flickering balls of flame, providing light and a small source of warmth.

"Yes," Ginger confirmed. "This is where my family lived before Zeplich was destroyed," she remembered. She called for everyone to come upstairs where she'd begun arranging old cushions and mattresses. The dresser in her room was still there, along with a faded photograph of herself as a younger Warmblood, in happier times, with her brother smiling at her side, waving at the camera. Sanjin brought Dust into the room where he and Ginger carefully lay him down on one of the mattresses, propping his head up on a pillow and covering him with the thickest blanket they could find. As the others entered the room, Fidget squirmed out of Ash's shawl and settled down right next to Dust's face, her face etched with concern as she tried shaking him awake.

"Come on, Dust…" she muttered. "Wake up, please…you're scaring the lot of us!" Ginger sat down at her son's side, gently brushing the matted strands of hair out of his face.

"He didn't deserve this," she whispered angrily. " I never wanted this for him…"

"No one did, Ginger," Sanjin reassured. "We're going to find a way to help him. I promise." As Ginger swallowed her tears, Taka offered to take watch downstairs along with Sanjin. Kim also joined them, leaving Ash and Jarin upstairs to keep Ginger and Fidget company.

"What happened out there?" Jarin asked.

"Wouldn't we all like to know?" Ash mumbled.

"The King has an artefact called the Eye of the Life Thread," Ginger explained. "Using it, he was able to summon forth the souls of the dead…and take control of Dust."

"So…he could take control of any of us at any point?" Jarin wondered nervously.

"No," Ginger shook her head. "The…the Elder told me a bit about it, years ago. He'd come to check on Dust as he sometimes did and was warning me about what might happen if…" She broke off. She was about to continue when something interrupted her.

"Master…? Master…please…answer me…" a softer voice sounded. Fidget yelped in shock when she noticed that the Blade of Ahrah, being held by Jarin, had blinked back to life ("AH! Talking sword!"). The runes, however, were faint and flickering weakly.

"Ahrah!" she cried. "When did you wake up?"

"Moments ago," the sword replied as Jarin recovered from the shock. "I have been trying to contact Dust, but he will not answer."

"How?" Ash asked.

"My power is linked to Dust's very being," Ahrah explained. "But he is silent…I cannot even reach out to his soul. It is as if it is not even there…"

"No…" Ginger whispered pleadingly. She squeezed Dust's hand, but no response came. "Come on, Scamp…wake up…"

"Elder Grey-Eyes said that Lady Tethys will be able to help," Fidget said. "Do we even have any idea what's wrong with him?"

"As soon as Cassius' name was spoken, his soul awakened within Dust…I felt his pain when we confronted King Julius," Ahrah explained, its voice wavering with concern. "When Dust fell under the Eye's control, I lost contact with him. I was unaware of all that happened until he was suddenly brought back to his senses."

"Was that when Ginger called out that name?" Jarin frowned. "Jin?"

"It must have been," Ahrah surmised. "Dust fought the power of the Life Thread itself…I could feel his struggle. All of a sudden…he went quiet, as if he vanished."

"The Eye can't _remove_ souls, can it?" Ash wondered nervously.

"No magic save that of Elysium itself can remove a soul from a living body," the Blade of Ahrah said. "No…whatever happened to silence Dust's soul likely originated from Dust himself. He most likely acted in self-defence, to protect his soul from once again being controlled against his will."

"Can someone do that?" Fidget blinked.

"I could not say," Ahrah said. "There are powers that even I do not have explanations for. As Elder Grey-Eyes said…our best chance to help Dust is to seek out Lady Tethys."

"Hopefully she hasn't moved since the last we saw her," Fidget gulped. "I know we were told to head to the Cirromon Caverns but she _is_ a deity and all."

"Lady Tethys is the Guardian Deity of the Waters of Life, right?" Ash remembered.

"There's a mouthful," Jarin mumbled.

"Well, those waters originate in the Caverns, don't they?" Ash pointed out, ignoring Jarin's comment. "If she controls the waters I don't see much of a reason for her to move." Fidget admitted that the girl had a fair point.

"This blizzard should have passed by the morning," Ginger said quietly. "Get some rest," she instructed. "We'll travel to Aurora tomorrow."

Ginger hummed a gentle lullaby to try lulling the younger party members to sleep, as well as an attempt to sooth her own wracked nerves, never for a moment taking her eyes of her son.

"Don't give up on us, sweetheart," she whispered. "Hang in there."

* * *

Dawn broke with a pink-orange glow over the ruins of Zeplich Village. Snow half-buried the long destroyed huts and shacks, leaving little evidence to any passerby that a village had ever stood there at all. A shuffling noise sounded from near the centre of the ruined settlement as the snow was cleared in front of one of the houses, as Taka and Sanjin began leading the effort to leave the village and head back to Aurora.

"Doesn't Ash had a spell that could make this faster?" Jarin chattered.

"That's _Ashelin_ to you," Ash snapped. She didn't feel like she knew this kid well enough for him to call her 'Ash' yet — Dust was a special case. "And I'm still recovering from yesterday. I can only manage small spells at a time." Jared muttered something about the girl making excuses but Fidget hovering nearby with lightning flickering threateningly at her paw-tips made sure that he didn't raise his voice to an audible level.

"If you want to get moving faster, Rich-Kid," Taka huffed. "You can pull your weight and help us out."

"I gave up my title! Stop calling me 'Rich Kid'!" Jarin protested.

"Would you rather I call you 'Brat'?" Taka suggested snidely. Jarin shut up. "Right. You going to help, or what? Shovels are right there." Grumbling under his breath, Jarin grabbed a shovel and began helping out. In the house, Ginger finished tending to Kim's wounds from the day before.

"Just be sure to tell me if it starts flaring up again," she said calmly, tying a bandaged around the young Moonblood's midriff where a small gash had been torn. It wasn't serious enough to be deadly, but had drained Kim's strength significantly the previous day.

"Thanks, Ginger," Kim nodded in gratitude. He glanced at Dust, who hadn't moved on the mattress. The only indication that he was still alive was the steady rising and falling of his chest. "The kid's lucky to have you as a mother," he noted sympathetically.

"I did my best," Ginger sighed. "But there were just some things I couldn't protect him from."

"He's a strong kid," Kim reassured. "He'll pull through. You'll see." Ginger smiled in thanks for the reassurance — she had only gotten to know Kim over the last few years but she knew the pain of losing family, just like he did. The two had bonded over that, and now Ginger couldn't help but see Kim as a second son, and she had no doubt that after Kim had gotten over his previously-held grudge towards Sen-Mithrarin he'd become the big brother that Dust had never had.

Once the all clear had been given in terms of the snow clear up, the group set off, heading south back down the mountains towards Roan Pass, and beyond that, the valley where Aurora Village was situated.

As it turned out, traversing _down_ a mountainside with an unconscious thirteen-year-old in tow was even harder than travelling _up_ a mountain. Wolves, Frites and other monsters made the descent bad enough, but having to constantly keep an eye on Dust to make sure nobody dropped him or that he wasn't dragged away as a wolf's lunch… _that_ grew very old very fast.

"I swear…one more wolf pack tries to pinch Dust while our backs are turned and I'm setting off an avalanche," Ash grumbled, having sent another pack running with smoking tails and heavily singed behinds. Another had left whining with an arrow in the eye courtesy of Jarin who'd proven useful in getting food for everyone at mealtimes.

"We sure we can't stuff him in your pocket dimension?" Fidget asked. Ash shook her head.

"If I could, I would have already," she sighed. "Non-living things only, I'm afraid." Sanjin vouched for the excuse — Ash had tried putting a field mouse in her pocket dimension as a very young child still learning the basics of magic. When she retrieved it…well, it wasn't exactly pretty. Fidget thus ruled out the possibility of Dust having had a similar spell on his inventory during their last adventure on account of the sheep.

"We can always stop over in Archer's Pass on the way," Kim suggested. "If it starts getting too dark, it will be safer than…"

"No," Ginger said firmly. "We're not stopping." Everyone flinched — they all knew how concerned Ginger was for Dust, but no one was brave enough to remind her that the entire group's safety was at stake for as long as they were travelling.

"Ginger, we know you're worried." Except Taka. "But it won't help Dust if we get ambushed at nighttime and end up leaving him defenceless."

"We don't know if he can last for long like this!" Ginger snapped. Taka frowned dryly at the woman — _she_ was the one with Dust currently slung over her shoulders, and he was still breathing, thank you very much. "I won't waste anymore time…!"

"We haven't _wasted_ time," Taka huffed. "We're taking every step we can to make sure we get Dust back as soon as humanely possible, while keeping ourselves alive in the process." Ginger opened her mouth to protest but Taka, sharp tongued twenty-year-old that she was, cut across before she had a chance. "Fidget kept warning Dust that you would flail her if he did something stupidly reckless. Well, I'm fairly sure that _Dust_ wouldn't appreciate you throwing yourself headfirst into danger either, regardless of whether it's for his sake or not."

Ginger sighed in defeat and reluctantly agreed to stop over by the blacksmith's in Archer's Pass if it got too dark to travel safely before they reached Aurora. She needn't have worried in the end, though, as once the group had successfully made it down the mountains, the going was a lot easier from there on out. In fact, after a brief stop for food, Aurora became visible through Abadis Forest just as the evening was starting to close in.

"Please tell me that's the place…" Jarin grumbled. "My feet are killing me…" Another snap from Taka to stop his whining was all he received in reply, but Ginger did offer to put together a potion once she had the ingredients. After all, it was very much by her insistence that they had been walking nearly all day.

The party nearly reached the village boundaries before someone saw them. Aurora still looked as if it was in shambles, still reeling from the attack by the Royal Guard days before. There were no Moonbloods in sight, and the few guards that were patrolling on duty were wearing bandages and bearing crutches. Ginger knew she had much to do, and luckily a shout brought her out of her thoughts before she became torn with helping the village and saving her son.

"GINGER!" It was Kalyn. "He did it! Ginger's back!"

The young, purple rabbit Warmblood raced over, her shout drawing the attention of every villager she passed. Before Ginger and the others could even fathom what was going on, all of Aurora had turned into a welcome wagon. Kalyn pushed to the front of the cheering crowd and flung her arms around Ginger.

"Ginger! You're okay!" she cried.

"Hi, Kalyn," Ginger greeted wearily, hugging the girl gently back.

"I knew he could do it!" Kalyn grinned. "I knew Dust would be able to save you!"

"Well, he had help," Fidget pointed out, slumped over Ginger's shoulder.

"I see you brought company," Old Bram noticed as he approached Ginger. The rest of the party gave weary greetings. "You have our thanks," Bram smiled. "And I'm sure you have Dust's too."

"Speaking of Dust, where is he?" Kalyn asked, noticing the apparent absence of her best friend.

"Oh, my word!" someone near the back of the group shouted. The voice belonged to Colleen, and she just so happened to be standing by Sanjin. "What's happened to him?!"

…who just so happened to be carrying Dust.

Kalyn let out a cry of disbelief as she pushed through the group towards Sanjin — she screamed when she saw Dust.

"Dust!" she yelled. "Oh, no! What happened?!"

"We're going to help him, Kalyn!" Fidget quickly cut in. "We don't know exactly what happened, but whatever it was, it was bad."

"We have to get to the Cirromon Caverns," Ginger explained firmly. "There is someone there who may be able to help Dust."

"Miss Ginger…surely you'll be staying in Aurora?" Corbin asked nervously. "You must have been through a lot…and you could all use the rest…"

"I've been through just as much as the rest of my friends here," Ginger protested with a tone of absoluteness in her voice. "I'm not leaving Dust's side until he wakes up."

"As late as it's getting, she's right," Taka agreed. "Things are worse than perhaps you people realise out there, and we need Dust back in the game as soon as possible."

"Very well," Old Bram nodded. "I shall grant you clearance into the Caverns."

"I'll get you all some Rings of Sight from the shop," Kalyn offered. "You'll need them down there."

"More freebies, Kalyn?" Fidget squeaked in amazement. "You're going to lose your job, you realise?"

"Mordecai will know that this is for a good reason," Kalyn insisted. "Besides…it's the least I can do for friends of Dust. Any friend of his is a friend of mine."

"Thank you, Kalyn," Ginger smiled. "We all appreciate it."

Kalyn raced to the shop and back in record time, hands stuffed with all the Rings of Sight she could carry. Once all of the party had been properly equipped and their energy replenished, they began heading towards the centre of town where the only known entrance to the Cirromon Caverns existed. As they prepared to enter the Caverns, Kalyn stood nearby. Ash paused before entering the caverns, turning back to face the girl.

"We'll get him back, I promise," she said gently. Kalyn nodded, her eyes starting to well with tears.

"Please…do what you can for him," she asked. "I just want my friend to come home safely." Ash reached out a hand, taking Kalyn's and squeezing it gently as a way of reassurance. Her bright yellow eyes seemed to shine in the dimming light of sunset.

"He will," she smiled warmly. "I'll make sure of it."

With that, Ash let go of Kalyn's hand and disappeared into the darkness of the Cirromon Caverns.


	18. The Cirromon Caverns

**The Cirromon Caverns**

It was Fidget who had led the way through the Caverns, having vaguely remembered the route she and Dust had taken fifteen years ago. She was also the one who had suggested entering the underground village of Mudpot one at a time — the locals, after all, weren't the most social of types when it came to complete outsiders. Fidget, at the least, was known to the villagers (providing the ones she'd known before were still alive), and so she had the best chance out of the whole group of asking for a place to stay for the night. Entering Mudpot one at a time also reduced the chance of the group accidentally frightening the locals into distrusting them — as long as it didn't seem like a full frontal attack, they stood a chance of a more hospitable stay.

"Come on…please tell me some people are still around…" Fidget muttered to herself as she flew over the low wall that surrounded the backyard of the first Mudpots she and Dust had met: that of Ma-mop and Bopo. "Uh…hello? Anybody there?" she called out nervously.

"Who's there?" a voice sounded. It wasn't one that Fidget recognised, but a Mudpot did indeed exit the house nearby. He was wielding a wooden spoon in one hand and a shovel in the other, which made the nimbat recoil in terror slightly (Fidget had been through a lot recently — you couldn't blame her).

"PLEASE DON'T HURT ME!" she shrieked, shrinking backwards as much as she could while remaining airborne. The Mudpot blinked a few times before his face lit up with a smile of recognition.

"My, my!" he exclaimed. "Strike me down with my own shovel! That ain't you, now, is it, Fidget?" Fidget had to blink a few times herself.

"Wait…Bopo?" she realised.

"By the Life Thread, it is!" the now-grown-up Bopo smiled in greeting. "It's been near twenty years. Where've you been?"

"Actually, it's been fifteen, but I've been keeping busy," Fidget replied, relaxing a little now that she knew that she was talking to a familiar face. "Yourself?"

"Also keepin' busy," Bopo answered. "Been taking care of Ma in her old age. Ain't Dust with ya?" Fidget's ears drooped, and Bopo instantly caught on. "Oh…oh, no…" he murmured.

"Things…a lot of stuff happened after we saw you last," Fidget said softly. "Long story short, Dust got himself kid-ified, war's started _again_ on the surface, and he took a really bad hit."

"My word…" Bopo whistled in disbelief. "I'm real sorry to hear that, Fidget. I truly am…"

"A friend told us that Lady Tethys might be able to help him," Fidget explained. "She's still around, right?"

"The Lady? Sure is," Bopo nodded. "Visits Mudpot on more occasions than before, so we see her a lot more regular now. Where's Dust at?"

"Uh…actually, there's quite a few of us with him now," Fidget grimaced. "The party's grown a fair bit and we didn't want to just barge into Mudpot all at once. The others are with Dust just outside town right now."

"Well, anythin' to help the person who got our waters runnin' again," Bopo smiled. "Bring 'em through. I'll send word around Mudpot that we've got visitors, and that you're here to see the Lady. Maybe someone can go tell her you're here?"

"You'd do that?" Fidget exclaimed. "Thanks!"

As Bopo went off to inform the other Mudpots about the arrival of outsiders from the surface, Fidget darted back out of the village to find the others, most of whom were starting to shiver in the cold, dampness of the caves.

"We good to bring in somebody else?" Ash asked.

"Actually, Bopo gave us _all_ the go-ahead," Fidget replied. "You know, it really does help to have connections," she added in an undertone.

"Really?" Ginger exclaimed. "The Mudpot villagers are really willing to let seven complete strangers…"

"Technically six strangers," Fidget corrected automatically. "Remember Dust is a local hero here, too."

"Fine. Six total strangers into their homes?" Ginger finished.

"Like I said — helps to have connections," Fidget shrugged. "Come on — let's get Dust to a proper bed before he catches pneumonia or something." Ginger agreed — Dust was so comatose that he wasn't even shivering in the cold caverns, but anyone with a pulse could feel how freezing he was getting, even as his fur puffed up to make him look like a fluffy ragdoll.

As Bopo had promised Fidget, the villagers of Mudpot were happy to let the group of travellers into their midst, many of them remembering Fidget from fifteen years prior (Flo-hop, now a young woman herself, even mentioned that she'd given her nimbat doll to her child. Fidget was less than pleased that the _other_ doll was also still in existence). Dust himself was quickly moved into Bopo's home when Ginger tucked him into a proper bed, barely big enough to fit him, while the others spread out around Mudpot to find their own resting places. They all reconvened outside Bopo's after a while, though.

"Has anyone gone to see Lady Tethys yet, Bopo?" Fidget asked as Ginger sat quietly by her comatose son.

"It's late — there's a lotta monsters in the caverns at night," Bopo grimaced. "Even if it is for Dust, no one really wants to put their own lives at risk. We're not exactly fighters, you understand."

"And I wouldn't ask them to," Ginger said softly. "You've already done so much in letting us stay here."

"Well, you lot ain't the first travellers seekin' refuge," Bopo said. "A lotta lizard people like your three friends outside have passed through over the last couple-a days."

"That'll be all the Moonbloods from the surface," Fidget realised. "Things have gotten really bad up there again."

"I dread to even think," Bopo sighed. "I can go see the Lady myself in the mornin', if you'd like. You lot should rest up — you look like you've been through a lot."

"We can't afford to wait," Fidget winced. "We need Dust awake yesterday, and if we don't hurry up then no one's going to be safe from the King. Not even underground's going to be safe."

"You're right," Ginger agreed. "Talk with the others, Fidget — I'll stay here and look after Dust." Fidget nodded and exited the house. The others were waiting.

"Still no sound from our little hero?" Taka frowned.

"Nothing," Fidget shook her head sadly. "We can't wait around until morning for one of the villagers to tell Lady Tethys that we're here. We need to find her now."

"You heading through the caverns?" Ash asked. Fidget nodded. "And Ginger's staying here?"

"It might be best if we split into two groups," Sanjin suggested. "With the King having done what he's done, there's no telling what he'll do next. I'll stay here and guard Mudpot. I noticed on our way to Aurora that monsters have been increasing in number." Fidget noticed that the increase in monsters seemed to have been rising ever since Dust first regained his memories.

"The Souldiers as well," Ash pointed out. "I'll stay, too. I've got my strength back so if any of them get close to the village I can defend it."

"I'll go with Fidget," Kim decided. "Someone's going to need to keep everything going."

"I'll go too," Taka added. "And we'll take Jarin while we're at it."

"Hey!" Jarin protested. "Don't I get a say in this?"

"We could use your shooting skills," Kim shrugged. "You've got good aim." Jarin puffed up slightly with pride, his eyes flashing proudly for a moment before he agreed to accompany the group going to Lady Tethys.

* * *

Bopo hadn't been kidding when he'd said that the presence of monsters increased further at night. Although Fidget, Taka, Kim and Jarin had all but lost their sense of time in the Cirromon Caverns, Fidget _did_ take note of the far greater number of monsters than she remembered, although that could be just fifteen years worth of not being in the Caverns playing with her memory. Even so, with Taka's quickness, Kim and Jarin's sharp shooting and Fidget's magic, the group made short work of the Florns, hounds, trolks and spiders that crossed their path.

Because of Kim, Taka and Jarin's large sizes and Kim and Jarin being unable to perform a crouch-dash of any kind, the group had been forced to take the long way round in order to reach Lady Tethys' chambers. The increased journey duration did, however, quicken the pace at which they moved as well as raise their determination to not let any of the monsters they faced get in their way. Kim was fairly sure he hadn't seen Fidget look as serious as she did throughout their entire journey, not that he could blame her in the slightest.

Eventually, after trekking through countless tunnels and caverns, Fidget heaved a sigh of relief when she spotted the remains of an old merchant's tent — the remnant of Sereth's presence when she and Dust had been here last. A quick hop and a jump down, the group found themselves in a chamber which Fidget found all too familiar. Floating in the centre was an ethereal being, mostly pale green in appearance but with blue and pink accents highlighting her dress. Behind her head floated something akin to a stiff-lace collar made of coral, and her head was adorned with a small shell-like crown. She was unlike any creature Kim, Taka and Jarin had ever seen before, not resembling either Warm or Moonblood, but actually looking more similar to the Frites of the Blackmoor Mountains.

This could be none other than the Guardian Deity of Water, Lady Tethys.

"Whoa…" Jarin exhaled in awe. The sound brought the deity's attention to the group.

"Who seeks an audience in my domain?" Lady Tethys spoke, her voice soft and echoey, yet bearing a power that made even Taka shrink into herself ever so slightly. Gulping, and praying to the Overseers of Elysium that this visit was nothing like the last one, Fidget flew forwards.

"Umm… Greetings, Lady Tethys," she said, a little shakily but as loudly as she could muster. "It's been a while."

"Hmm?" Lady Tethys hummed in wonder before her gaze, unblinking, landed on the orange nimbat. Her collar flashed a soft, pale blue, signifying that she was in a calm state and more than happy to share a conversation. "Oh, Fidget!" she exclaimed, a smile radiating in her voice. "I did not see you there. What brings you here? And who are your companions?"

"My name is Taka, my Lady," Taka curtsied before indicating the boys. "And these two are Kim and Jarin."

"My Lady," Kim bowed. Jarin also bowed as deeply as he could, but unable to take his eyes of the deity.

"Uh…hello…" he eventually squeaked out. Lady Tethys floated down so that she was level with her visitors.

"I cannot say that I have seen surface dwellers for over a decade," she greeted, before turning to Fidget. Her aura shifted to a melancholy indigo, as if offering sympathy. "I am sorry about what happened to Dust, Fidget," she said sadly. Again, Fidget gulped. She knew that this conversation could go one of two ways and she didn't like one of the ways so she was really hoping for the other.

"Are we talking about what happened fifteen years ago?" she grimaced nervously. "Or what happened a lot more recently?" Lady Tethys' aura flickered in confusion.

"I beg your pardon?" she frowned.

"We are here because of Dust, Lady Tethys," Taka explained. Kim was surprised at how well the thief/whatever-Taka-called-herself was carrying herself. Perhaps it was the presence of a deity that was forcing her to formal things up a little? "Do you know what has been happening on the surface?" she asked carefully.

"I have sensed the land once again at war," Lady Tethys replied, the hurt of hearing thousands of souls crying out in pain ringing in her voice. "And recently I felt a tear in the very cosmos itself. What has been happening?" she inquired.

"The King of Falana…" Kim started. "He's raging war against the Moonbloods and our allies again."

"I feared as much," Lady Tethys sighed. "I had hoped that peace would last after General Gaius' campaigns had ended."

"Looks like Fate had other plans," Taka grimaced.

"What of Dust?" Lady Tethys asked. "Only yesterday I heard a fractured soul cry out in pain…such a soul I have only ever seen in him."

"He's…something happened to him," Jarin said, finally finding his voice. "King Julius is using…he used some kind of magic to control Dust."

"Magic?" Lady Tethys repeated. Fidget shivered when she heard the subtle tone of confused anger beginning to surface in the deity's voice.

"Dust…wasn't himself," she explained, treading as carefully as she could. Lady Tethys' aura was starting to flicker red, and Fidget had a feeling that she was already starting to piece things together. This was going downhill. "The King was calling him Cassius…and he started answering to that name when he never would have done before."

"Wait… Cassius?!" Jarin spluttered. "I know that name!" he exclaimed. "Father said he was one of the King's assassins and a friend of General Gaius. But he died years ago! Before I was even born!" Lady Tethys was now framed with an aura of faint red, growing stronger with each sentence.

"Is this Cassius anyone to Dust?" she asked, her voice soft with anger.

"Umm…yes?" Fidget replied, her voice faint with nerves. Kim jolted in shock.

"What?!" he cried. Taka also looked horrified.

"How is Dust connected to that monster in any way?" she almost yelled.

"Dust was created with two souls, Lady Tethys," Fidget explained. Kim knew this, but all he'd known from the conversation with Elder Grey-Eyes at New Zeplich was that one had been Ginger's brother and the other had been his killer. But for that killer to have been the best Royal Assassin Falana had ever known? "Cassius is one of them."

"You mean to say that the man who slaughtered my people is part of the hero who was supposed to save us?!" Kim shouted angrily. Lady Tethys shone blood red.

"Silence!" she half-bellowed. Kim shrank in terror. "Let her speak!"

"S-sorry, my Lady…" Kim mumbled fearfully. Fidget was getting almost too scared to speak. She'd backed up so much she was almost hiding between Taka's ears.

"The Blade of Ahrah said that the King had awakened Cassius' souls…" she whimpered. "Using the…"

"The Eye of the Life Thread," Lady Tethys finished, her voice deathly quiet. Everyone fell silent, trying to anticipate what would happen next. Things had gone downhill very fast. "Even after the war ended, Julius still sought out ways of wiping innocent beings from this world…" Lady Tethys growled softly. "And now…you mean to tell me that he has defiled the Life Thread itself?!" she roared.

"EEK!" Fidget and Jarin both screamed. Taka instantly grabbed the Starsheen Knives and shifted into a defensive stance. Unless they could talk the deity down and quickly, a fight was their only option.

"My Lady!" she yelled. "Calm down!"

"You _dare_ address a deity in such a manner?!" Lady Tethys bellowed. Taka threw all manners out of the window at that point — in her defence, she _had_ tried to be polite.

"I'll address anyone like that if they're about to completely lose their heads!" she shouted.

"You saw all of this happen…" Lady Tethys continued, her hands starting to spark with lightning as she summoned a red coral scythe. "And you deemed not to stop him?!"

"It's not like we knew what was going on until it was too late!" Jarin protested, readying his bow and keeping a hand hovering over his arrows. "Everything happened too fast!"

"Spare me your excuses!" Lady Tethys shrieked, enraged. "This land had truly turned to ashes… I will pass judgement on its denizens!" she cried, the entire cavern starting to shimmer and crackle with electricity. "The Life Tread has been defiled and I will not stand by to watch it be used in such a way!"

"This is bad…!" Kim shouted over the crackling lightning.

"How're we supposed to get her to help Dust now?!" Jarin yelled but he received no answer as Fidget's eyes suddenly took up half of her head.

"Watch out, guys! We've got incoming!" she screeched.

Thanks to the nimbat's warning, the team were able to split just before a bolt of lightning struck the floor where they had just been standing. A fight now unavoidable, they set to work in knocking some sense back into the enraged deity. This had been what Fidget had hoped so desperately to avoid, but given how Lady Tethys had handled things last time…she was starting to think that she really shouldn't have gotten her hopes up.

Fidget was, however, relieved to see that despite fifteen years having passed since their last battle, Lady Tethys' combat techniques and style hadn't changed all that much. She still mainly used lightning as her primary attack but would still take a few swings with her coral scythe if anyone (mainly Taka and sometimes Jarin if he tried getting a few whacks in with his bow, which horrified Kim to no end) got too close. The group learned quickly and soon took advantage of this — if Taka was able to get close enough she was able to have a one-on-one duel of sorts with Lady Tethys while Jarin, Kim and Fidget took pot shots while the deity was preoccupied.

Although they had a strategy down fairly quickly, the group still felt the full brunt of Lady Tethys' attacks. The lightning would sometimes electrify all of the water in the cavern, which made Taka and Kim regret going around barefoot everywhere (Jarin, at least, had decent soles on his shoes), and the coral scythe was sharp as well as heavy, and the group found that they were quickly going through the few health provisions they had left.

It took many minutes and a few near brushes with death itself, but Taka eventually managed to get Lady Tethys in a guard lock, giving Kim the perfect opportunity to sneak up from behind and strike the deity sharp around the head with the butt of one of his pistols. Lady Tethys cried out in pain and was sent reeling as the team regrouped, panting and exhausted (as well as all hair standing on end), as well as heavily injured, but nonetheless alive. Fidget struggled to catch her breath as Lady Tethys' aura went from blood red to a passive blue once again.

"P…please tell me…you've stopped…the homicidal rampage…" the nimbat panted. "…again." The Water Deity rose once more, pacified and no longer out for blood.

"I apologise…" she said, her voice ringing with regret. "That is the second time I have given into the dark desire for justice. I vowed I would never do so again…"

"I don't blame you," Taka winced. "Knowing what the King has done has made me furious too." Lady Tethys' gaze passed over the group, her aura flashing with concern.

"I hope that I did not hurt you too greatly," she said. The team shared a glance — well, they were fairly scratched up and fairly sure that there would be some lightning burns somewhere but they were standing, if that made a difference.

"Nope…we're fine," Jarin said dryly. "Just peachy…" He was interrupted by Kim elbowing him in the back.

"Shut up and mind your manners, brat," the Moonblood snapped.

"Hey!" Jarin squawked in protest. Luckily Lady Tethys stepped in before any more damage could be done.

"Tell me more of what has happened," she requested. "You said that King Julius awoke a soul within Dust using the Eye of the Life Thread? A soul belonging to someone named Cassius?"

"Well, more accurately Cassius has been dormant for the past thirteen years and was woken up by the King saying his name," Fidget corrected in an attempt to distract herself from her aching joints. Her wings needed some serious R&R following that battle. "Cassius is one of two souls that make up Dust. He gives him his power…his strength."

"And what of his other soul?" Lady Tethys asked.

"A kid called Jin," Fidget replied. "He's the one who gives Dust his moral compass. Does a good job of it too, for the most part." Lady Tethys nodded in understanding.

"I see. So that is why I could not see clearly into his past before," she realised. "You say that the King was controlling Dust after he awakened Cassius' soul?"

"Sure didn't look like your typical mind-control at first," Kim frowned. "I mean, sure — Dust clearly wasn't in control of himself but it looked like Cassius was fine to begin with."

"That was until Ginger awakened Jin," Taka remembered. "When she did, something snapped…even Cassius starting fighting against the King's control."

"King Julius was using the Eye of the Life Thread to control the soul itself," Lady Tethys realised. "Because Cassius was newly awakened, he had no time to understand what was happening before he fell under the Eye's influence. Waking Dust's other soul…waking Jin…broke the spell for the briefest of moments, it seems."

"Long enough for Dust to fight back," Fidget guessed. "And for Cassius to realise what was going on."

"Where is Dust now?" Lady Tethys asked. "You said you came to me because of him?"

"He's in Mudpot," Jarin explained, still reeling with the trauma of the battle he'd just been a part of. "When the King tried taking control of him again, he just zonked out all of a sudden. He's not woken up for two days now."

"Elder Grey-Eyes said you might be able to help," Fidget explained worriedly. "The Blade of Ahrah said it couldn't contact Dust…that it was as if his soul had vanished. Apparently it was some form of self-defence against the Eye…we don't know what…but…" Lady Tethys had gone deathly pale, her aura flashing white in alarm.

"Oh, no…don't tell me…" she murmured. The group shared glances again.

"Uh…Lady Tethys?" Kim frowned, but the deity had already opened the way to a teleporter behind her.

"Take me to him! Immediately!" she ordered.

The team didn't need to be told twice.


	19. Under Lock and Key

**Under Lock and Key**

Ginger stirred wearily as the sound of hurried voices sounded outside the walls of Bopo's home. Damp hair fell over her eyes as she sleepily lifted her head and rubbed sleep from her eyelids. Moments later, the door to the house opened and thing started getting a lot more cramped as the rest of the party (Ginger noticed that Taka, Kim, Jarin and Fidget looked particularly beat up) piled into the tiny house, accompanied by an ethereal, pale green being that Ginger knew without prompt to be Lady Tethys.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "L…Lady Tethys?"

"That is me, child," Lady Tethys greeted gently. Ginger tried pushing herself to her feet, despite how cramped her limbs had become. "Please, do not rise, my dear."

"I'm sorry that I'm not better presented," Ginger apologised, stifling a yawn as much as she could.

"Don't worry, Ma'am," Taka huffed sarcastically. "Compared to us, you look like a princess." Ginger decided to let the 'Ma'am' slide for now, but she vowed to have words with Taka later (she was not _that_ old!). Bopo came into the room and instantly bowed upon seeing Lady Tethys.

"My Lady!" he exclaimed. "I weren't expecting you…if I'd known then I woulda cleaned the house…"

"Worry not, young man," Lady Tethys reassured. "This is a matter of urgent importance — I could not delay until morning." Bopo nodded in understanding. "I have been told that Dust is here?"

"He is, my Lady," Ginger nodded, moving as much as she could to reveal Dust lying unmoving on the tiny bed. Fidget's heartstrings were nearly torn in two when she noticed that Ginger had tucked in Dust's nimbat doll into the covers next to him. To the unknowing eye, the boy may have just as well been sleeping. Lady Tethys floated over and set herself down at Dust's bedside. As she did, the Blade of Ahrah flickered weakly next to her.

"Lady Tethys…" it greeted in a voice so quiet it was barely audible.

"Ahrah," Lady Tethys replied, with as equal a sombre tone to her voice. "I wish we could have met again in better circumstances."

"Can you determine what has happened to my Master…?" Ahrah whispered.

"I have a feeling," Lady Tethys answered. "But I do not like it…" Her gaze fell on Dust's resting face, her hand tracing his forehead as if doing so would grant her access to what was happening in the boy's head. For what felt like hours, but may have perhaps been mere minutes, the house fell silent, the party cramped up against the walls as they waited with baited breath to finally learn of their friend's fate.

The sound to break the silence was an echoey gasp from Lady Tethys as she suddenly withdrew her hand, as if repelled by an electric shock.

"Are you alright, Lady Tethys?" Ash asked nervously. "Did you find anything?"

"It is as I feared…" the Water Deity murmured worriedly before turning to face the rest of the group. "Dust has locked away his souls."

"What?" Jarin exclaimed.

"That's possible?" Fidget squeaked. "How?"

"If a person has a strong enough willpower, they can lock their soul away deep within themselves," Lady Tethys explained. "Doing so protects the soul from all manner of harm."

"Well, if there's anyone who has a strong will, then it's Dust," Ginger sighed. "He must have done this to protect himself from the power of the Eye."

"Is there anyway to wake him up?" Ash asked worriedly.

"Not from external influences," Lady Tethys replied. "Locking away one's soul creates internal bonds that can only broken from the inside. It is these chains that, on the outside, cause the person to fall into a deep sleep. Never before have I seen such a case."

"So…is there any way to get in?" Kim suggested. "And before you answer that question, might I ask what you meant by internal bonds?"

"Within each living creature exists an entire dimension known as the Soulscape," Lady Tethys explained. "It is a sacred ground, one that can usually only be visited by the one it belongs to."

"So Dust is stuck in his…Soulscape?" Taka assumed. Lady Tethys confirmed this before continuing.

"If I can create an opening, another soul may enter and find Dust to help him free his souls from the chains he's locked them away in, knowingly or otherwise," she offered.

"Wouldn't this put Dust's souls at risk again?" Ginger realised. "If Cassius and Jin's souls have awakened…the King can always take control of him again."

"I can fashion a charm that will protect Dust from the Eye of the Life Thread's influence," Lady Tethys said. "It's power will weaken with proximity to the Eye, but it is the least I can do to offer some form of protection for him."

"Great!" Taka grinned eagerly. "So we have a way to wake up Dust _and_ make sure that we can fight old King-face without him making Dust his personal puppet." She turned her gaze directly to Lady Tethys. "So how do we go about entering the kid's Soulscape, then?"

"I can create a gateway, but it will not last long," Lady Tethys explained. "Once inside, the only way out will be to unlock Dust's souls. But I'm afraid that this is the only way."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Jarin cut it. "Let's go! We've got a hero to wake up!"

"Not so fast," Lady Tethys interrupted. "It is true that I can create a gateway into Dust's Soulscape, but it will only last long enough to allow one soul to enter. Even then, that soul must have a direct connection to Dust's — I fear that any other soul that attempts to enter the Soulscape will be obliterated."

A collective gulp went around the group.

"How 'direct' are we talking here?" Kim asked.

"The soul must belong to someone that Dust trusts above all else," Lady Tethys explained. "And their fate is intertwined directly with his."

"I guess that puts most of us out of the question," Ash guessed sombrely. "I mean, yes, we've all agreed to help Dust this time round, but those were choices that we all made. At every chance he's had, he's given us the choice to leave if we wanted to take it."

"Not to mention we're people he's known for a grand total of less than a week," Taka added with a grimace. "Whether or not it was fate that we all met, I doubt he'd put any of us on the top of his 'People I Trust' list."

"Yeah, you and Jarin in particular," Ash shot dryly. Taka shrugged — okay, so she had a habit of nicking people's lunches…

"I'll go," Ginger said decisively. "My brother's soul forms half of who Dust is and I'm his mother," she added. Surely that was enough to grant her access. "I raised him…"

"I'm sorry, Ginger," Lady Tethys spoke regretfully. "I understand your desire to help Dust, but I fear that may not be enough." Ginger was horrified, and quite truthfully angered by the statement.

"How can it not be enough?!" she demanded to know. "I've raised him since I found him as a baby! My brother _died_ so that Dust could even exist in the first place! How much closer of a connection do you want?!"

"Familial connections do not necessarily equate to the direct link between souls required to enter another being's Soulscape, Ginger," Lady Tethys explained. "Were it that simple, every family member could gain access to…"

"I'll go!" a determined squeak sounded. Everyone's gaze turned to Fidget, who had just landed on Dust's chest to rest her wings for a moment.

"F…Fidget?" Ginger blinked in surprise. Fidget sighed and began to explain herself.

"Look, Dust is the Bearer of Ahrah, right?' she pointed out. "And I'm the sword's guardian. It's always been my obligation to accompany him wherever he goes," she continued, remembering how at first she hadn't been fully aware of her duties until Elder Grey-Eyes had reminded her of them. "Neither of us knew it at the time, but from the second Dust came into existence it was my destiny to accompany him on his journey."

"B…but…" Ginger stuttered, close to tears.

"Fidget is right, Ginger," the Blade of Ahrah spoke softly. "Ever since she was appointed as my guardian, her fate was intrinsically linked with the one who would become my fated sword bearer."

"I hate to break it to you, Ginger," Taka winced. "But I don't think you can get much more of a closer connection than that." Ginger was looking a bit put out by the evidence all pointing to the fact that she wasn't the one who would or could help her son, even though every fibre of her being was telling her that she needed to do something. Lady Tethys placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, an action which made Ginger feel strangely at ease.

"Dust may be your family in more ways than one, my dear," she spoke softly. "But they speak the truth. Fidget has been his companion since his first breath of life fifteen years ago." Ginger still looked heartbroken as she cast a glance at her son.

"Also, we have no idea what's even _in_ that Soulscape," Fidget pointed out. "And…while I'm not denying that you've got killer aim Ginger…" she added, recalling multiple occasions where Ginger had lost her temper up at the numerous wolf packs and Frites in the Blackmoor Mountains on the way back from Zeplich and she'd lobbed snowballs and small rocks directly into their faces. It had been rather impressive…and actually slightly scary seeing Ginger like that. "…I'm kinda better equipped for protecting myself in there than you are," Fidget ended.

Ginger's gaze drifted from Dust to Fidget and then back again. Her eyes had run out of tears, but the pain was still etched into her face.

"Don't worry, Ginger," Fidget said with what she hoped was a reassuring smile on her face as she patted Ginger's hand gently. "I'll bring Dust back safely. I promise."

"I don't doubt that you will, Fidget," Ginger sighed. "I just… I just wish there was something more I could do to help him."

"Don't we all," Sanjin grimaced near the back of the rather cramped house. "But we've done all we can for Dust. Now, it's up to Fidget to bring him back to us."

"Way to _not_ put pressure on me or anything," Fidget grumbled sarcastically. The comment earned a much needed ripple of soft laughter from the group.

"We know you can do it," Ash smiled. "Like you said — if anyone's destined to give Dust a hand, it's you."

"Or a paw," Jarin snickered before Ash elbowed him in the ribs.

"Besides, Ginger," Fidget continued, opting to ignore the comment. "You've done so much for Dust, anyway. Ever since we reunited, he's not sad a bad word about you and how you've raised him — thanks to you, he's had an amazing life as a normal kid." Her smile broadened, shining with gratitude. "You've not idea how grateful he is for that." Ginger looked stunned, tears finally starting to return.

"R…really?" she stammered in amazement. "Dust said that?" she asked.

"Yeah, said your curry was to die for as well…" Fidget added in an undertone. Or not so much of one…

"Fidget!" Kim reprimanded sharply.

"What?" Fidget shrugged. Ash snickered.

"Dust was right — you really do think with your stomach," she giggled.

"I do not!" Fidget protested. "I just so happen to have a finely developed palette, thank you very much!" The exchange at the very least finally made Ginger crack a smile, and she laughed softly in spite of herself.

"Alright, I get the hint, Fidget," she giggled. "How about I have some prepared for when you wake Dust up?" Fidget's ears shot upwards with excitement.

"Well, never mind me," she grinned. " _Dust_ had better appreciate _that_!" Another soft peel of laughter echoed in the cramped house, even from Lady Tethys.

"I trust that you are ready, Fidget?" she asked once the laughter died away.

"I guess…" Fidget gulped. "What do I need to do, exactly?"

"I will place you into a slumber which will allow your soul to pass through the gateway into Dust's Soulscape," Lady Tethys explained. "After that, you need only find Dust himself and help him unlock his souls."

"Sounds easy enough," Fidget shrugged. "What's the catch?"

"That which I have already said," Lady Tethys said. Fidget remembered.

"Oh, right. No coming back until Sleeping Beauty here wakes up?" she guessed.

"More specifically, until all the chains binding Dust's souls have been broken," Lady Tethys corrected. "Are you ready?"

"As I'm ever going to be," Fidget sighed. Taking a deep breath, she climbed onto Dust's gently-rising-and-falling chest. Taking one last look at his face, she clenched her jaw and glanced up at the Water Deity, her green eyes almost shining in the dim light with determination.

"Alright. Send me in."

* * *

 **Double update today because I forgot to upload on Sunday again. Just as a forewarning: I have a lot of university coursework to finish over the next few weeks, so if I miss anymore uploads over here on this site then that will be why.**


	20. The Soulscape

**Okay, getting this out of the way now: I am SO sorry that that I haven't updated this thing in ages! This story is complete, but I just haven't been on this site in a long time. Again, so sorry I've been absent and not updating this thing.**

* * *

 **The Soulscape**

Fidget's vision was fuzzy when she first opened her eyes, but she was confused to see that everything around her seemed to stay out of focus even when she was certain she'd shaken her head clear of any additional fog obtained from Lady Tethys putting her into a magical sleep. Her surroundings looked blurred, as if she was looking through a very thick heat-haze. It reminded her a little of the haze from the Everdawn Volcanoes, and that alone was enough to make her shudder.

"Okay, Fidget…you're here now," she muttered to herself. "No backing out. Let's just find Dust and get out of here." Fabulous. Less than ten seconds into this and she was already talking to herself. Looking around and examining her surroundings further, Fidget began to see that it felt eerily familiar. She then recognised it as the Glade.

"No wonder…" she murmured. "It's where he first ever woke up…it was his first memory as Dust."

Something flickered in the peripherals of the nimbat's vision, something which made her pause mid-flight and turn slightly. Fidget squeaked in terror as she spotted ghostly figures shimmering through the haze, and set of a flurry of projectiles as an automatic reaction, but stopped when they seemed to ignore her.

"Maybe they can't see me?" she wondered aloud. She _was_ an outsider in this realm, after all. Squinting, she noticed that the ghostly forms looked an awful lot like Dust — one even wore a satgat. But there was something about these two that didn't fit right. They faced each other for a moment before charging, vanishing into swirling mist before they clashed. Fidget knew from years ago who those two had to be.

"They faced off here…" she realised. "Jin and Cassius both died in the Glade." It made sense, then, that Dust had woken up there. It was the spot where his twin souls had fallen. Fidget wondered what else she might see in this dimension, if Dust's memories were merging and clashing in such a way.

As Fidget continued her journey through the Soulscape, she was increasingly unnerved by its very appearance. As well as the haze, sometimes her surroundings seemed to splinter as if she was looking into a shattered mirror. Now, Fidget was no expert on these things, but she was fairly sure than an internal dimension was _not_ supposed to be this fractured.

"Come on, Dust…" she mumbled as she passed through the Glade and into what looked like the fields outside of Aurora. Even the transition between areas was jarred. "Where are you…?"

* * *

"GYAH!" Fidget groaned in exasperation as she narrowly avoided having her wings singed by a spectral version of _Lady Tethys_ of all people. It hadn't helped that she'd also come across ghostly versions of Fuse and _General Gaius_ as well earlier, but having faced Lady Tethys not hours ago meant that Fidget was hardly in the mood for more boss fights. "Dammit, Dust! Where are you?!" she cried. Fidget didn't know how much of her friend's Soulscape she'd even explored, and the constantly shifting surroundings didn't help in keeping track, but she was fairly certain that she was being driven insane with every moment she spent in here.

As Fidget flew, she came across a structure, still underground, that was unlike the rest of the caverns. This one was built upon, with lion statues guarding the entrance atop marble columns. Fidget's wings drooped — she recognised this place too.

"And of all places, you've got Cirelian Trials in here as well," she grumbled. "Fabulous…" Still, it looked like the first place with any sort of stability in the Soulscape: unlike the haze that covered most of Fidget's surroundings, this place was clear. If she was going to find anyone anywhere, she hoped it would be here. Praying beyond hope, Fidget cupped her paws around her mouth to use as a megaphone.

"Hey! HEY!" she yelled. "Anyone in there?!"

Her voice echoed through the caverns for a few moments. Fidget was about to turn away and give up when something echoed back. Something that was not her squeaky voice.

"Who…who's there?"

Now _there_ was a voice she recognised!

"Dust?" Fidget gasped quietly. There was no one else it could be. "Hang in there, Dust! I'm coming!" she cried, flying forward at full speed without any hesitation whatsoever. As she remembered, the Cirelian Trial cavern was filled to the brim with death traps and enemies, although these ones (like Gaius, Fuse and Lady Tethys) were ghostly in appearance. Her vigour restored from hearing her friend's voice, however, Fidget was hardly fazed by them. Running on adrenaline alone, she charged headfirst through the hoards, not even stopping to tend to a stray ember from a flame thrower catching her on the wing.

The cavern went deeper than any Fidget had ever traversed before with Dust, so much so that the light given off by the cyan flames was getting dimmer and dimmer with each corridor she passed through. Eventually, though, she found the last room, almost pitch black if it weren't for the fires outside giving off the faintest of lights. Through the shadows, Fidget could just make out a figure, but it wasn't what she was expecting to see.

There were chains draping the room like ribbons, and Fidget had been expecting something along those lines after what Lady Tethys had told her. But in the centre of those chains wasn't the figure of a teenaged Warmblood fox. This figure was a fully grown adult Warmblood, garbed in a long cape that caught the light of the fires and seemed to glow soft cyan. Upon his head was a cone shaped hat, with fabric the same colour as the cape draped over it, hiding his face.

Fidget's didn't need to see it. She knew perfectly well who it was without him even raising his head.

"Dust?" she called gently. "Dust!" The figure shifted — his hat still covered his eyes, but as Fidget let off a few projectiles to light up the room, her heart soared with relief. That was him. It was the one she remembered asking for the Blade of Ahrah back when they'd first met in the Glade. It was the one she'd fought alongside to save so many people. It was the one she'd seen being consumed by the fires of Everdawn.

It was Dust as she'd first met him.

"What the…?" he murmured in confusion as the room was lit up. "Who's…?" Fidget didn't wait for him to finish and shot over in a flash.

"Dust! What happened?" she asked worriedly. The chains looked awful, and on further inspection she could see that Dust's ankles and wrists were all shackled. "What's going on here?!"

"F…Fidget?" Dust realised, his eyes finally adjusting to the light, it seemed. "Is that…? What are you doing here?"

 _Of all the stupid questions…_

"I came to find a way to wake you up!" Fidget explained, her eyes searching the room frantically for anyway to release her friend from the chains. "We need you back out there ASAP!"

"Fidget…I…" Dust began, but Fidget was already off on a rambling tangent, barely letting him speak.

"Now, you just sit tight whilst I figure out how to get you out of these chains," the nimbat instructed. "Right…am I going to need a key, or can I blast these things open?" she mumbled to herself.

"Fidget…" Dust said again, this time with a slight growl in his voice that the nimbat, in her eagerness and relief, completely missed.

"And while we're at it, how come you look like you used to?" she asked. After travelling with Dust in the outside world when he was a young teenager for close to a week, it was incredibly jarring to once again see him in his adult form. "I'd just about gotten used to seeing you without the stupid hat…"

"FIDGET!" Dust suddenly yelled.

"EEK!" Fidget squeaked, tumbling backwards away from Dust. He'd never raised voice at her like that before…he sounded so angry. True, he'd been angry before…but never at _her_. "I'm sorry! I won't insult the hat anymore!" she apologised before adding in an undertone: "It's still a stupid hat…"

"I'm sorry, Fidget," Dust sighed, calming down after his sudden outburst. "It's… This isn't about the hat." Fidget heaved a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness," she smiled warily. "You scared me for a second there."

"I'm sorry…I didn't mean to," Dust said softly. Fidget began tugging at the chains again.

"So…back to the chains?" she quizzed. Dust winced and turned his gaze away from his nimbat companion.

"They…they're here because I created them," he explained. "They'll only release if I want them to." Fidget's face lit up with glee — for once, an easy solution!

"Oh! Well, that makes things a whole lot easier!" she exclaimed. Dust still looked sullen, but the nimbat was too happy at the prospect of getting out of the Soulscape quickly. "What are you waiting for, then?" Fidget asked when Dust didn't move. She tugged on his cape, but no response came. "You know, everyone's really worried about you," she said, her brow furrowing ever so slightly with concern. "Let's get going!"

"I…I can't, Fidget," Dust almost whispered, still avoiding eye contact with his companion. Fidget froze, almost falling out of the air as her wings momentarily stopped working. _What?_

"Huh?" she blinked in confusion. "But…you just said that you can make the chains go away!"

"It's not that I'm not able to, Fidget," Dust said. "I just…can't."

"What?" Fidget squeaked. "But that doesn't even make any…" Something suddenly clicked in her brain as she figured out exactly what her friend was saying. The meaning behind the words he'd tried using to mask his real thoughts infuriated her."Wait…you mean that you _won't_ take them off?!" she snapped.

"Wha…No!" Dust exclaimed, jumping to his feet in protest. "It's not like… That's not what I…!"

"Oh, shut up, Dust!" Fidget growled. "To me, it looks like that's _exactly_ what you mean!" Dust never had been a good liar. How _dare_ he put himself in this kind of situation! "If this is about what happened in Everdawn, you're safe now!" she continued, trying to appeal to whatever reason her friend had. "We got away! You don't need to lock yourself away anymore. King Julius is not going to be able to do…whatever it was that he did to you. Lady…"

Now it looked like it was Dust's turn to get frustrated.

"Fidget, don't you get it?" he snapped, cutting Fidget off before she could continue. "He already knew that he could awaken Cassius' soul… He knows that he has the power to make me do what he wants. I could…he could…"

"From where I was standing, once Ginger woke Jin up you were fighting that magic with everything you've got!" Fidget argued. "It took you…took everyone by surprise! We're prepared for it this time. We're _not_ going to let it happen again! It's not _going_ to happen again, because…"

"He made me go after Ash and Kim!" Dust half-shouted, his voice shaking at the memory of nearly killing his own friends. "I'm made up of two dead souls, Fidget — the power of the Eye is _not_ something I can fight against. This is the only thing I can do to stop it….to stop _him_ from making me do that again!" Fidget let out a frustrated groan, bringing both paws up to her face.

"Urgh! Now you're just being close-minded," she huffed in exasperation. "You've not even stopped to think about any other way we can go about this without _you_ turning Sleeping Beauty on us!"

"Fidget, if the King takes control of Cassius again, I don't know if there will be a way to stop it now that Jin's awake," Dust said, almost pleadingly as he tried to justify his actions. "I could kill Ash and Kim…all the Moonbloods, even…" He paused, his entire being shaking. Fidget didn't need to see the face under the satgat to known how much emotional pain her friend was in. "I could kill Ginger! Did you even stop to think about that?!"

"Right now, all I'm thinking about is how to snap you out of this stupid, selfish mindset you've gotten yourself stuck in!" Fidget snapped back, her tiny fangs bared. Her statement threw Dust completely off guard.

"S…selfish?!" he spluttered, taken aback. The angry snarl didn't leave Fidget's face.

"Yes, _selfish_!" she nodded. "Do you have _any_ idea what you're putting everybody through out there?" she cried. "We're all sick to our minds with worry about you. Ash and Sanjin have been putting everything into making sure you stay safe while we try to wake you up… Taka, Kim, Jarin and I just had to fight _Lady Tethys_ in order for us to find out what's going on with you in the first place…!" She took a breath to continue reeling off what had been happening since Dust went comatose. "GINGER is scared to death that she's not going to see _her son_ wake up again… We are NOT losing you like this!" she screamed.

"I'm not doing this because I want to!" Dust protested. "I'm doing this to keep you safe from me!"

"Well, that's not doing _anyone_ any favours, _especially_ you!" Fidget retorted. "And don't you dare think that I'm going anywhere until you let me get you out of…"

 _Shlink_

"EEK!" Fidget suddenly screeched as she found the pointy end of a blade millimetres from her nose. She jolted backwards, her green eyes wide with horror as she took in what stood before her:

Dust was holding a broadsword, one not unlike the Blade of Ahrah but at the same time so different. It was black, rather than deep blue and silver, and an eerie mist seemed to swirl around it.

"Fidget, if you do to leave this place quietly, then I swear I will make you," Dust warned softly. Fidget was horrified. How could he do this? How could he raise a weapon to _her_?

"Dust…?" she whimpered fearfully.

"I can't unchain the souls that make up who I am and not put everyone I care about in danger," Dust continued, keeping the spectral blade raised which in turn forced Fidget to keep her distance. "I thought you of all people would understand. Now go," he ordered, lowering the weapon and turning his back on the nimbat. "And tell them I'm sorry."

He turned away, heading back into the shadows on the room Fidget had found him in. He no doubt expected the nimbat to turn and leave, but Fidget instead found herself frozen in place, making no move at all save for her wings keeping her airborne and her entire being shaking. All manner of emotions were racing through her head.

She was desperate to help her friend; she was horrified that the one she trusted more than anything else had just threatened her with a weapon; she was upset that how much pain her friend seemed to be in…

But, above all, she was _furious_.

"Why must you be so self-sacrificiously righteous about EVERYTHING?!" she bellowed, her anger exploding outwards in the form of every projectile she had ever mastered. The energy orbs and fireballs ricocheted around the cavern before pelting Dust from every direction, and her lightning bolts electrified the entire room, singeing Dust's cape and hat.

"ARGH!" the blue-white fox cried in pain and frustration, all mixed into one. "Why won't you leave?!"

Fidget's snarl deepened to a deadly intensity, her paws glowing brighter than they had ever done before. She saw no other choice ahead of her — the only way that she was going to get through to Dust, it seemed, was to _literally_ knock some sense into him. She'd never fought Dust herself, but she knew how formidable a warrior he was. While she was relatively skilled in magic, as a fighter she didn't have a lot of experience in fighting solo. Not to mention, he was close to five times her size, was much stronger physically _and_ he most likely still had Dust Storm still going for him.

The odds were not stacked in her favour, but it was a gamble that she had no choice but to take.

"If you're not going to hear me out and listen to what _I_ have to say…" Fidget growled. "…then I swear I'll make you!" she finished, spitting Dust's earlier words right back into his face. Dust, by reflex alone, had shifted into a defensive stance after Fidget's attack, blade poised to strike if he was provoked any further.

"I don't want to fight you, Fidget…" he begged, his voice raw with pain. Fidget wasn't hearing it — she was going to get some sense back into the guy who pulled a sword on her if it was the last thing she ever did.

"You're the one who just stuck a sword in my face!" she snapped. "I'm not going anywhere until I've knocked some sense back into you!"

Without further hesitation, Fidget let loose and a battle between an Elysian Warrior and his Guardian was instigated.

Dust was strong, that much was evident, and his adult form was far more powerful than his teenaged one but Fidget was small and fast, a combination of traits which made her difficult to land a hit on. She quickly discovered that Dust's spectral weapon seemed to leave a trail behind it as it moved which also did damage, however, so keeping her distance was paramount.

Fidget also found out exactly what it felt like to be on the receiving end of Dust Storm.

"ARGH!" she grunted after Dust unleashed it for the first time, rattling the chains in the cavern. The attack felt like a dozen tiny knives slicing through you all at the same time. Fidget could only imagine how much worse it could get when paired with her projectiles. "Low blow, Dust! Low blow!"

"I didn't want to do this, Fidget!" he shouted. "Just go! I don't want to hurt you!"

"Bit late for that, Stupid Hat Club Founder!"

Fidget was finding herself stuck — she couldn't get close enough to deal any physical damage to Dust because of the reach his weapon had, and he had the advantage of getting her from range with Dust Storm…

Now, would using her projectiles backfire on her if she used them at the same time?

"Here goes nothing…" Fidget mumbled, waiting for Dust to unleash Dust Storm again. She provoked him with a dive-bomb fire attack, and unleashed her energy orbs as soon as Dust Storm hit. They swirled around the cavern, splitting and ricocheting off the walls like hailstones, but none of them hit Fidget. Instead, they peppered Dust and caused him to stagger.

Seeing her opening, Fidget rushed forwards while Dust's guard was down and kicked him as hard as she dared. The move knocked him off balance and sent him tumbling to the floor (how he hadn't gotten tangled up in those chains, Fidget doubted she would ever know). Fidget backed off, hoping it would be enough, but Dust got straight back to his feet and charged forward again.

The fight lasted for what felt like forever. Fidget's projectiles lit up the cavern like lightning lit up a dark room during a thunderstorm, and Dust fought back as if the chains shackled around his wrists and ankles didn't deter him in the slightest. Finally, Fidget set off her most powerful ability: a release of pure energy that she called Nimburst. At the same time, Dust swung at her with the eerie blade he held in his hand — the two attacks connected, but Fidget's was far more powerful, fuelled with a determination to knock some sense into her friend and get him out of this twisted dimension.

The force of the impact knocked Dust off his feet again and sent his weapon flying from his hand, vanishing into the rest of the Soulscape in a swirling black fog. Fidget dropped to the ground, her wings out of strength to keep her flying, while Dust tumbled to the ground in front of her. Fidget stared at him as she caught her breath, tears stinging her eyes and her lungs screaming for air as the adrenaline finally left her system.

"Wh…why won't you listen to me?" she choked, a sob rising in her throat. That fight had been the last thing she'd ever wanted to do…it had almost destroyed her to fight her own best friend. Dust shakily tried getting to his feet, but all he could do was get himself onto his knees while still supporting his weight on his hands. He'd also lost the strength to stand.

"Fidget…" he panted, also distraught from the fight. "I…"

"No!" Fidget interrupted. She knew that if she let Dust speak, all she would hear would be a repeat of before the fight. She wouldn't…couldn't have that. "I don't want to hear anymore of that nonsense from you," she said firmly, with the upset still crystal clear in her tone. "I understand that it's not easy for someone to be destined to save the world over and over again, but that's no excuse to ever take the easy way out!"

"I'm not…" Dust began to protest, but Fidget would not let him speak.

"I'm not finished!" she snapped. "You once said so yourself that Cassius was always trying to persuade you to take the easy route…to leave people to fend for themselves…but Jin always managed to get you to do what you could to help!" She had to get to her point…maybe now Dust would realise… "You're making everyone out there fend for themselves and you're certainly not doing anything to help anyone, yourself included! You keep saying that you don't want Cassius to take control…or the King to take control of Cassius…but if you're set on doing this…" Fidget paused to cough up a sob. "…Cassius may as well already be in control."

"Fidget…" Dust whispered, falling backwards so that he was in a sitting position rather than on his knees. Fidget pushed herself into a standing position — her big feet made it awkward, but she had to make a point.

"So what if you've got the soul of an assassin making up who you are?" she continued. "We established years ago that you're not Jin _or_ Cassius! You're Dust, no matter what anyone else calls you or what form you take," she reminded him, taking in his appearance once more. He was a battle worn warrior, but a warrior nonetheless. This Dust looked the part a lot more than the one in the outside world, but Fidget knew why.

Elder Grey-Eyes had spoken of a third soul within Dust in this life: one created when he was born anew from the Life Thread. Fidget knew that she was looking at that soul now. It hadn't changed from the person she'd known before.

"You may be a teenager on the outside, now," she pointed out. "But looking at what's in front of me…you've still got the same spirit…the same _soul_ …as the Dust that I knew before."

"But I…"

"No buts!" Fidget cut across sharply, the tears starting to leak from her eyes. Now, nimbats had bigger tear ducts than most, so when the tears came, they came. "Everyone out there's counting on you to watch their backs as well, you know? And you're doing _nothing_ but making yourself miserable in here, so for the love of Elysium, let me help you!" she pleaded.

"F…Fidget…" Dust choked. There was no hiding the sob within his own cracking voice.

"I've been through way too much with you to just let you wallow in this self-made prison because you think it's for the best. It's not!" Fidget continued, her fur becoming matted from her tears. "Lady Tethys is going to make sure the King won't be able to control Cassius again…and I was _trying_ to tell you that earlier but you wouldn't listen! So don't you _dare_ say that this is the only way!" The nimbat still didn't have the strength to fly, and she'd all but collapsed onto her knees as if she was begging Dust to hear her out and come home.

"Nothing will get better if you stay here, and I for one am _not_ going to lose my best friend again!" she cried, ignoring the tears splashing the floor of the cavern. "And Ginger's also making your favourite curry out there so if you let everything she's ever done for you these last thirteen years go to waste, so help me, I will kick you into the next era myself!"

With that final plea, Fidget's tirade was over. For a moment or two, silence fell across the cavern, broken only by the sound of shifting chains before a choked sobbing began to echo through the room. The noise caused Fidget to look up — that sound wasn't being made by her. As she looked up, she noticed that Dust's position had changed so that his head was buried in his arms, curled up into his knees. His shoulders were shaking violently, and a muffled sobbing noise was coming from the folds of his cloak.

"D…Dust?" Fidget whispered through her own sobs as she summoned the strength to crawl over. Dust made no move as she reached him, so she climbed up onto his legs and lifted his hat off his head. The satgat fell away to reveal the head of silver hair that Fidget had seen on his adult form only twice, but had grown accustomed to seeing on his teenaged form over the past few days.

Upon feeling his hat leave his head, Dust looked up and finally came face to face with his nimbat companion. Fidget's heart broke at seeing her friend's face. Dust's pale blue eyes were rimmed with pink from crying, and his nose was twitching from his body-wracking sobs. Without any hesitation whatsoever, Fidget threw her paws as far around Dust's neck as she could as she buried her head into his shoulder. In response, Dust hugged her as tightly to his chest as he could without crushing her.

"I'm here, Dust…" Fidget murmured softly, not even caring if her tears were starting to soak through Dust's cloak. She doubt he cared either. "I…I'm sorry… It's okay…"

"F…F…Fidget…" Dust wept. Fidget never thought she'd ever hear such a sound coming from Sen-Mithrarin. She was almost relieved that she had…relieved that he was able to cry. He needed to. That much was clear. And she needed to be there for him like never before.

"C'mon…" she hiccoughed. "It's okay….I…" She sniffed. "I'm here…"

"I'm so…" Dust cried quietly. "I"m so sorry, Fidget. I…I…"

"Just…" Fidget gulped back another sob. "Please tell me you'll let me help you out of here… Please?" she begged. Dust was shaking so much she couldn't tell if he nodded his head, but the answer she heard whispered into her ear was all that was needed.

"I…I… Yes."

"Really?" Fidget blinked, breaking the hug ever so slightly so that she could study Dust's face. He furiously blinked away another wave of tears before nodding his head more resolutely this time.

"Y…yes," he sniffed. "I'll come back."

With those three words, there came a clicking sound as the shackles around Dust's wrists and ankles opened. There was a rattle as the chains themselves fell away before they, too, faded into the mist of the Soulscape. Fidget smiled proudly and hugged her friend once more.

"That's the Dust I know," she said gently as Dust hugged her back, the embrace as warm as one would be after reuniting with an old friend.


	21. The Souls of the Mithrarin

**The Souls of the Mithrarin**

A comforting silence fell between the duo, broken only by the occasional hiccough. Eventually, Dust regained enough strength to stand, picking up his hat as he did so (Fidget made no complaint — in all honesty, she'd actually missed the hat) while Fidget began stretching her wings again. Still exhausted, the nimbat camped out on Dust's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Fidget…I really am," Dust sighed, wiping the last of his tears away. "I had no idea… I didn't realise how worried everyone was."

"Why in Elysium do you think we wouldn't be?" Fidget asked. "You're more than just a hero, you know? You're our friend." Dust smiled in thanks — Fidget had been right. He really _had_ gotten himself stuck in a rut. He was glad that he could count on her to snap him out of it. "Oh, and one more thing?"

"What?"

"You know how you started yelling at me to leave?" Fidget grimaced. "Well…kind of impossible until you wake up." Well, _that_ would have made all the difference!

"Why the heck didn't you mention that sooner?" Dust spluttered.

"Because you stuck a sword in my face," Fidget pointed out dryly. Dust winced and apologised once again. Fair point. "Now, come on," Fidget smiled. "Let's not keep them waiting — what's our next step?"

"I was hoping that you could tell me," Dust frowned. "What makes you think _I'd_ know?"

"It's your Soulscape!" Fidget pouted. "I thought it would be a given!"

Dust decided to at least get out of the Cirelian Trials area — the place creeped him out nearly as much as it did Fidget. He also wanted to find a proper weapon — the one he'd used against Fidget had felt foreign in his hands and not because he was used to using Ahrah.

Exiting the caverns, Dust was able to get his first proper look at his own Soulscape (Fidget flopped on his shoulder in exasperation when he explained that he'd pretty much been stuck in that room since locking his souls away). The haze really was disorientating to begin with, as was the colours of the surroundings (a kind of lilac, blue and teal mix). Still, he couldn't deny that it was nice to be out of the room he'd imprisoned himself in.

"This is really something else," he remarked in awe.

"You can say that again…" Fidget grumbled. She sounded less than impressed. Before Dust could say anything more in reply, another voice sounded, this one echoey and far-off. It was nonetheless familiar.

"Master?" it said. "Master! Can you hear me?"

"Ahrah?" Dust exclaimed. "Is that you?" The was no sign of the floating sword, so it was deduced that it was making contact with the duo from the outside world.

"And where were you when I was getting my wings clipped by this maniac?" Fidget huffed. Dust pulled a face at her.

"Uh…you started that one," he pointed out.

"Okay, maybe I did," Fidget shrugged. "But you weren't exactly holding back yourself."

"Do I even want to know what happened?" Ahrah sighed dejectedly.

"I'll tell you once we get back," Fidget said quickly. "How come we can hear you?"

"Dust has unlocked a part of his soul, Fidget," Ahrah explained. "This has allowed me to once again speak with him." Fidget asked Dust quickly if he'd actually had telepathic conversations with the sword in the past without telling her but he declined to answer.

"Sorry about that, Ahrah," he winced instead. "I…I didn't know what else to do."

"I do not blame you for the course of action you chose to take, Master," Ahrah reassured. "I am grateful, however, that Fidget has succeeded in starting you on the path to awakening."

"Starting?" Dust frowned.

"Still got Jin and Cassius to track down, Tough Guy," Fidget said.

"Precisely. They form as much a part of you as your own mind and self do, Dust," Ahrah agreed. "To free yourself from the Soulscape, you must unlock your twin souls as well."

Dust let out a small reluctant sigh which Fidget, still on his shoulder, caught immediately.

"Don't you dare go there again, Dust, or I will be forced to scratch your eyes out," she warned. Dust shook his head.

"No…I understand," he said. "Ahrah, you're still with the others, right?" Ahrah confirmed that it had not left Dust's side ever since the group fled Everdawn Basin. "Then…tell them that I'm okay, and that Fidget's bringing me back." Ahrah agreed to do so, but when Fidget asked the sword to pass on thanks to Lady Tethys, Dust instead asked if he could thank the deity in person once they awoke.

"As you wish," Ahrah said. "In the meantime, I will project my power into the Soulscape for you, Dust. You will need a weapon."

"Did I not mention _five minutes ago_ that he nearly sliced my wings off?!" Fidget shrieked.

"I don't know what that sword was, Fidget, but it felt wrong using it," Dust winced. Fidget shrugged — fair enough. As long as it wasn't that spectral sword from before she was okay with it.

There was a shimmer in the air around Dust's hand — as it cleared, a glowing silhouette that matched Ahrah in appearance appeared in his hand. Dust visibly relaxed and gave the blade a few practise swings, and it moved so naturally he might as well have been moving his own arm. With a final farewell and wish for Dust and Fidget's safe return, Ahrah's presence vanished from the Soulscape. Armed and ready, the duo set off, ready as they ever would be to face the challenges of the Soulscape.

* * *

"That is the _last time_ I ever want to face a demon from another dimension!" Fidget snapped as they took down a somehow-even-ghostlier-and-spookier-than-before version of Demon Kane. Dust wiped his brow and grunted in agreement. "Your mind is messed up, Dust."

"So you've said ten times already," Dust grumbled. "Given everything I've ever been through, can you blame me?"

"Eh. Guess not," Fidget shrugged. It would be unfair to do so. "Let's keep moving — wherever we end up _has_ to be better than the Sorrowing Meadows."

"I won't disagree with you there," Dust said. "Except Everdawn." Again, Fidget couldn't argue with that. The duo stepped forward, past the last mansion of the Sorrowing Meadow and, just as expected, the scenery changed. This time, it brought them to a village covered in snow. Surprisingly, although it wasn't in ruins, it was recognisable immediately as Zeplich Village.

"Nice to have some place in here that isn't in tatters or downright creepy," Fidget mumbled. Dust nodded in agreement but didn't make a noise — he seemed drawn to the centre of town. Following without question, Fidget hovered behind him as they moved onward. In the centre of town, just outside Ginger's house, was a fox Warmblood with the same red hair and deep blue eyes that Ginger had. Like Dust had been in the Cirelian Trials cavern, this man had chains shackled to his wrists, but they seemed less foreboding than the ones that had bound Dust. Upon seeing Dust and Fidget, he smiled in greeting.

"Well, look who finally pulled himself together," he remarked jokingly. Fidget blinked a few times, remembering that face…that smile…from the photograph in Ginger's ruined home.

"Hang on a second…" she exclaimed softly. "Isn't that…?"

"You're…Jin," Dust realised. For the first time, he was having a face to face conversation with one of the souls that had created his very being.

"That's me," Jin smiled. "It's nice to have a chance to actually meet you, Dust. You too, Fidget."

"Pleasure's all ours," Fidget grinned back. Ginger hadn't been wrong when she'd told them how nice Jin was — Fidget couldn't help but like the guy. "Ginger's told us a fair bit about you."

"I dread to think," Jin gulped with a modest laugh. Dust pulled his hat up to reveal his face, eyes of pale blue meeting deep azure. Despite the difference in colour, the two pairs of eyes were almost identical.

"No, no. It was all…good things," he contradicted. A smile crept across his own face. "It was pretty much the same from the Moonbloods who knew you." To Dust's surprise, Jin's face fell and the smile left his eyes to be replaced with regret.

"That's what I thought," he sighed.

"Huh?" Dust blinked. "What do you mean? And how come you sound sad about that?" Jin sighed again before answering.

"Being a part of you and all that, I heard the Elder's explanation about who you are," he explained. "About how I'm the Soul of Innocence and Goodness counteracting Cassius' Strength and Power. It's…" He trailed off, as if trying to catch his own train of thought for a moment. "Let's just say that it's not as clean cut as that."

"How do you mean?" Fidget asked. Jin made direct eye contact with Dust again.

"Dust…You share my memories," he pointed out. "You know why I left home that night." Dust nodded.

"You were seeking out Cassius," he recalled. "The man who killed your parents and led the destruction of your home."

"There you have it," Jin said sadly. "I was out for vengeance. Does that sound like an innocent act to you?"

"Now you mention it…" Fidget mumbled. She guessed that Jin wasn't exactly the squeaky clean angel they'd heard about.

"There was a darkness inside me that led me to abandon the only family I had left," Jin explained painfully, the regret of what he'd done etched into his face. "It's a side of myself that Ginger never knew about…and one I didn't want her to know about."

"That's why I…I mean, you left without saying goodbye that night," Dust realised, quickly correcting himself. Having so many sets of memories really did get confusing.

"Yeah, and I've regretted it ever since," Jin nodded. "But how could I let my sister know that I was out for blood? I was no better than the assassin that killed our parents." Dust begged to differ — Cassius had killed indifferently and without mercy or remorse.

"That might be the case, but everyone's got a bad side to them," Fidget pointed out. "And from what we've heard…from both sides, mind you…Cassius sounded _way_ worse." Case in point. "Don't compare yourself to him."

"She's right," Dust smiled softly. "I mean, Taka's a great person, but she's not exactly what I'd call a saint." His smile broadened at the thought of his friends in the outside world. Taka hadn't exactly gotten off on the right foot with the group, but Dust couldn't deny that she was a valuable ally and friend, despite her thievish tendencies. "I have to keep my eye on the Blade of Ahrah constantly because she keeps trying to pinch it." The example got a laugh out of Jin, who looked thoughtful before he spoke again.

"It's not just me," he said. "Cassius has a few…let's say…unexpected traits of his own, I guess." Of course. Spending an extended period of time in the same body as your enemy had to mean you'd learn a thing or two about them whether you wanted to or not.

"You're saying he has a sense of humour?" Fidget asked. "Because that's the last thing I'd expect from a cold-hearted assassin."

"Nah, the guy's about as funny as a dull whetstone," Jin shook his head. "But…as much as I hate the guy…"

"Which is a lot," Dust deadpanned. Jin looked surprised.

"Wait, you can tell?" he exclaimed.

"Trust me," Dust sighed dryly. "Of all the memories that have been coming back to me over these last few days, the ones of you two getting down each other's throats every time I made a decision are not ones that I've missed." Jin grimaced and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly in apology.

"Ah…umm…sorry about that," he winced. "I didn't realise you could hear all that."

"You're kind of hard to ignore," Dust smirked until Fidget cleared her throat loudly to get the conversation back on track. Jin got back to the topic at hand.

"As much as I hate Cassius for what he did, he's a loyal guy," he explained. "Pretty much to a fault, now that I think about it. Also, I found out that when it comes to people he's close to, he actually does care. I guess he didn't want others to know that he could, though. Apparently even Gaius thought he didn't have a heart."

"How'd you work that out?" Fidget asked. It was Dust who answered.

"It was when I tried to save Gaius in Everdawn fifteen years ago," he realised. "I felt Cassius talking through me then."

"I was surprised you let him considering you spent the entire fight telling Gaius not to call you 'Cassius'," Jin remarked.

"Even when we were facing the King, when I was trying to get control of myself back…" Dust continued. "I could feel what Cassius felt. He…he felt betrayed, like he was horrified someone he considered a friend would do something like that."

"So Cassius _was_ friends with the King?" Fidget exclaimed in amazement. "Dang, guy had connections."

"That was more or less the impression I got when Ginger woke me up," Jin agreed, ignoring Fidget's comment. "But that'll be something to ask him when you see him, though," he grimaced, lifting both hands pointedly. The chains clinked together. "We're both a little…tied down at the moment?" he said. Dust winced and nodded quickly

"Oh, right…uh…give me a moment."

There was the slightest of pauses before the chains around Jin's wrists dissolved in a ribbon of cyan light, disappearing into the fog of the Soulscape. Jin rubbed his wrists and smiled warmly at the duo.

"Thanks, Dust," he said kindly. "Say hi to my sister for me when you see her next." Dust nodded and promised that he would do so, with Fidget vowing to hold him to that promise before they set off to find and unlock the final soul residing within Dust's Soulscape.

* * *

"Dust…from now on, you are not allowed to speak," Fidget grumbled as they left Zeplich Village to be greeted by a scene of glowing orange only made worse by the haze of the Soulscape. Dust tugged his satgat back down over his eyes…of all the places they could have ended up, this was the _last_ on his list of where he'd wanted to end up.

"Shut up, Fidget…" he groaned back. "Let's just hope that Cassius is around here somewhere, this is last place I can remember us ever going except the Plains and Falun."

Cutting through the spectral hordes of Remnants, as the duo had found out the monsters within the Soulscape were called, Dust and Fidget fought their way back through the volcanoes of Everdawn for the third time. The path they carved through the basin was almost identical to the one they'd trod fifteen years ago, down to the very spot where Gaius' throne stood in his camp on the summit of one of the volcanoes.

"I swear…if Gaius shows up again…" Fidget mumbled.

"Wait, _again_?" Dust frowned. Fidget was about to explain what had happened when she'd first entered the Soulscape when the air shimmered again, and a ghostly apparition of General Gaius appeared.

"EEK! WHY?!" Fidget shrieked. Dust glared at his nimbat companion.

"Fidget?" he glowered.

"YES?!"

"From now on, you are not allowed to speak."

The resulting battle with Gaius luckily was over before Dust found himself falling into a lava lake again — the scenery changed before he had a chance to do so. No longer were the duo within the fires of Everdawn Basin, but instead a courtyard, one that Fidget sure didn't recognise but there was a faint glimmer of recognition in Dust's face.

"Where do you think we are?" Fidget wondered aloud.

"This is where I…I mean, where Cassius trained," Dust replied. "This is the courtyard of the Royal Palace." He walked forward without waiting for Fidget to respond, as if exploring a place from his distant past. Fidget knew that it was like the time they'd entered Zeplich for the first time, and quietly followed him. If there was any place in the Soulscape where they would find Cassius, it would be in a place from _his_ memories, just like they'd done with Jin.

Sure enough, there was a grey wolf warmblood standing in the centre of the courtyard, dressed in dark grey, wearing a satgat, and with chains hanging from his wrists. There was no smile on his face, merely a cold gaze coming from two crimson eyes.

"So, you came after all," Cassius spoke in acknowledgement of the company he was now receiving. Dust stopped in his tracks and stood firm.

"I know I wasn't exactly striking confidence in people with my behaviour," he said bluntly. "You have Fidget to thank for snapping me out of that."

"Uh…hi?" Fidget squeaked from behind Dust's shoulder. Cassius grunted before responding.

"Dust is lucky to have friends like you," he remarked. "While I agree that putting us all on lockdown was a good idea for an immediate solution, in the long term it will do nothing to stop Julius."

"Uh…did you not try telling that to Dust?" Fidget asked with as much courage she could muster. The very air felt cold around the assassin, and it was giving her goosebumps. "It took me smashing his face in to get him to listen."

"Tell me about it…" Dust grumbled, rubbing his nose as if to check that it wasn't broken. Cassius folded his arms, his expression hidden by the shadow cast by his satgat.

"The child and I both tried talking to Dust, but no doubt you took notice of where you found him?" he said. Fidget shivered.

"Yeah…and I thought the Sorrowing Meadows were creepy," she gulped.

"Okay, I get it," Dust huffed. "My mind's messed up. Can you blame me?"

"No, but I am definitely taking you to see a psychiatrist once this is over," Fidget said firmly. "This is…it's not normal!"

" _I'm_ not normal!" Dust pointed out. "We've established this."

"Anyway…" Cassius cut across impatiently. "Such areas are impenetrable by those already chained within the Soulscape," he explained. "I assume that because you do not originate from here you were able to find and communicate with Dust."

"You see how difficult you made it for everyone, Cone Hat?" Fidget pouted.

"Okay! Alright! I get it! I said I was sorry!" Dust protested.

"Say…umm…Mr Cassius, sir…" Fidget said, ignoring Dust's mini tantrum. "You tried fighting against the King's control out there, right?" Cassius made no reply, but made a small noise that rang of betrayal.

"He was someone you saw as a friend, wasn't he?" Dust said. "And what he did violated that friendship."

"I trained as a Royal Assassin from a young age…younger than you are in the outside world, Dust," Cassius explained. "Gaius was a few years my senior, and the King…who was the Crown Prince at the time…even more so. He nonetheless trained in combat with us, and was somewhat a mentor of mine."

"Must have been a good fighter," Dust figured.

"He is," Cassius confirmed, the first trace of what Dust could only describe as nostalgia echoing in his otherwise cold voice. "He was close to General Gaius, who in turn was my friend. In time, they were the only two people I ever gave that title to."

"Just a question, how good a fighter are we talking here?" Fidget cut in. "Because Gaius said that you could never beat him in a fight, so what about the King?"

"He was the only one that Gaius could never win a fight against," Cassius remembered, almost too fondly for Dust and Fidget's liking. That…wasn't exactly good news for them. "When Julius was crowned King, I swore allegiance to him. I trusted his judgement. For as long as I knew him, he was a good ruler, and treated his subjects justly…"

"What of the Moonbloods?" Dust interrupted, perhaps a little sharper and colder than he might have meant to have sounded, but his disdain for the actions taken against innocent lives was nonetheless made clear. Cassius seemed unfazed by Dust's tone.

"I know you share my memories, Dust," he said calmly.

"That does not mean that I understand," Dust retorted cooly.

"Can't say I do, either," Fidget agreed.

"And I doubt that you ever will," Cassius said simply. "You side with the Moonbloods. I doubt there is anything I can say that will make you understand the viewpoint of those who oppose them." It was clear that Cassius was going to make no attempt to either explain or defend himself, Gaius or any other Warmblood who actively sought to wipe the Moonbloods from the face of the earth, so Dust decided it not best to dwell on the subject. It was true that he knew Cassius' reasons for fighting against the Moonbloods…and along with them, Gaius and the King's reasons too…but he could never bring himself to understand them.

"You're right. There probably isn't," he agreed. "But why would the King steal the Eye of the Life Thread and use its power in such a way?"

"Yeah, last time I checked, snatching souls from the Life Thread and raising the dead was a _major_ taboo in terms of magic," Fidget frowned.

"It is," Cassius confirmed. "Although, by that logic that would also make Dust's very existence an abomination." Fidget instantly bore her fangs and claws, her paws glowing brightly.

"HEY!" she snapped angrily. "Say that again and I'll…!" Luckily, Dust grabbed the nimbat by the scruff of her neck before she could cause any damage.

"Fidget! Calm down!" he exclaimed. "He's got a point. Both he and Jin should technically be a part of the Life Thread. They…don't belong in the mortal world anymore, yet they live on through me." Fidget was still fuming.

"That doesn't make _you_ an abomination!" she argued.

"Cassius, I'll repeat my question," Dust said firmly. "Why is Julius doing what he's doing?"

"I can only guess that he sought out a way of efficiently and permanently wiping out the Moonbloods," Cassius speculated. "By raising an army that would never run out of soldiers…with the Eye of the Life Thread, he could bring them back as he pleased and they in turn could not be destroyed by normal means. With the Eye of the Life Thread, he would also have complete control over his army, and any soul who dared to defy him…if they even had the power to do so…would be subjected to the same trance that he placed me under."

"That's…barbaric…" Dust hissed, clenching his fists and his jaw.

"Julius is ruthless in war, and forever determined to achieve his goals," Cassius said, no longer with nostalgic remembrance but a sad one. "That much, I have always known. But I never dreamed that he would stoop to such a level, nor commit such a crime against nature. Tampering with the Life Thread in such away…soon enough it will tear existence itself apart." The pain of betrayal and disappointment cut through the assassin's cold voice like a knife, Cassius being unable to hide emotions from someone who was practically himself in a new life. He paused for a moment as if in thought before he raised his head enough that his crimson eyes could be seen under his satgat.

"Although there is a part of me that will always be loyal to the crown, even I can't and won't ignore the fact that what the King is doing is destroying this kingdom," he said. "The one we all worked so hard to save…" He couldn't exactly deny his participation in the events of fifteen years ago.

"You're willing to just let us stop him?" Fidget asked.

"We must," Cassius said firmly. "There is no other choice. I may bear no sympathy to the Moonbloods or their allies, no more or less than I did twenty years ago, but as Gaius said: the world we loved is gone. He told you, Dust…told me…to cherish this new world, and I fully intend to honour my friend's wishes." He took a deep breath before continuing, every word burdened by the gravity of the situation at hand. "Even if it means defying the wishes of my King. What the man has done means that I can no longer consider him the friend that I once knew."

"You understand what we all have to do, then?" Dust asked.

"If it comes to that, I will make no move to stop you," Cassius promised. "I will lend you my strength, just as I have since the moment you first breathed life. But, Dust…" he trailed off, as if afraid that what he would say next would be unacceptable. "It it is not beyond my place…I would like to ask a favour of you."

"Depends on the favour," Dust frowned. "What is it, Cassius?"

"I would like the chance to speak to the King," Cassius requested. "The man I trained alongside and served my entire life was not a man without reason. If possible, I would like the chance to try talking him out of this madness."

"First off, we tried that and look how well that turned out!" Fidget pointed out, gesturing to the Soulscape around them. "Second, you want to become the dominant soul just to have a conversation? How do we know that you won't make Dust turn on the others? That's exactly what we want to avoid!" Again, Cassius was unfazed by the accusations.

"Were I still alive, I would swear upon my life that I would not do such a thing," he replied. "However, I cannot give you anymore than my word, and a vow to do whatever I can to make sure that Dust does not fall under the Eye's power again, so that is what I shall give." Fidget didn't look entirely satisfied, but Dust could only try to defuse the tension.

"I can see what this means to you, Cassius," he said simply. "Jin probably won't like this…nor will anyone else…but I will give you the chance to talk to the King."

"But if you make one move that looks like you might even make the tiniest scratch on one of the others, I will not hesitate to knock you out myself," Fidget threatened, teeth bared in an angry snarl. The smallest hint of a smile appeared on Cassius' face — it made Dust wonder if such an expression had ever crossed the assassin's face in the years before he died, and if anyone had seen it.

"Thank you," Cassius said softly. His voice was still cold and sharp, but the faintest hints of gratitude were still there. "And Dust, please…do what you can to save Julius from this madness."

"I will do my best," Dust promised. There was a moment of silence as the chains around Cassius' wrists dissolved into the Soulscape in the same way that Jin's had done. The Soulscape itself seemed to become clearer, with much of the haze lifting.

"I believe it is time that you woke up?" Cassius pointed out. Dust nodded, and Fidget made a statement of agreement — the sooner they got out of the Soulscape, the better, in her not-so-humble opinion. "Good luck out there, Sen-Mithrarin."

Dust held Fidget closer as the courtyard faded to be replaced by the Glade. The haze had all but gone, although the lilac and blue colours remained. It made the place seem more like a haven, rather than the twisted dimension that Fidget had found when she'd first arrived. There, in the very centre of the Glade…in the very spot that Fidget had found Dust on the day they'd first met, was a gleaming portal, shining with a gentle white light. Through it, Fidget was ninety percent certain that she could smell the scent of a freshly cooked curry.

"Ready to get back into the field?" Fidget quizzed, glancing at her friend. Dust stood in place for a moment. "Dust?"

"Yeah…" he replied. "I think so." Fidget comforted him with a paw on his shoulder, which he gratefully took. With a small smile, pale blue eyes met ones of brilliant green. "Thanks again, Fidget…for snapping me out of this."

"I know you'd do the same for me," Fidget smiled. "Now let's go before I get too used to seeing you as an adult."


	22. Respite

**Respite**

Ginger had once more fallen asleep against the wall of Bopo's tiny hut. The place really wasn't built for a family of Mudpots, a fully grown Warmblood, a deity, and a sleeping teenage Warmblood all at the same time. Lady Tethys was keeping a vigilant eye on Dust and Fidget, who was still snoring softly on the boy's chest as it rose and fell. She'd kicked around a few times, as had Dust on a couple of occasions — evidently, things hadn't been going incredibly smoothly within Dust's Soulscape. Lady Tethys could only hope that the two would wake up.

Ginger stirred and sat up slowly, massaging a stiff back and neck as she did so.

"Any sign of them waking up, my Lady?" she yawned. Lady Tethys shook her head, her aura a worried orange.

"Not yet…although they have calmed down in comparison to earlier," she replied.

"I have sensed both the presence of Jin and Cassius' souls returning," the Blade of Ahrah informed. "I would imagine that Dust and Fidget will awake very soon." Ginger perked up and rushed over to the bedside. As promised, she had indeed made Dust's favourite curry (Taka and Ash had fetched the ingredients from Aurora during their rounds), and it was currently being kept warm over the fire in Bopo's kitchen. Hopefully, she would be serving her son's favourite meal soon.

Fidget was the first to make any sort of movement. Her nose began twitching violently and she began making sniffing noises loud enough for Bopo to hear from the next room over. Before long, her eyelids began fluttering and she groggily raised her head.

"Morning…" she yawned, stretching herself out. Ginger giggled when she saw that, stretched to the furthest she could reach, Fidget's feet nearly reached Dust's kneecaps while her paws were almost touching his nose. It was rather cute, to be honest. "Wazzat amazing smell?"

"Dust's favourite," Ginger smiled. "You got here just in time."

"Yay!" Fidget yawned widely. "M' I up first?"

"Yes, it looks like you beat Dust," Lady Tethys noticed. "But, as I said, you would not have been able to return without him. I'd imagine he'll be joining us any…"

A small groan sounded from the sleeping teenager. Ginger gasped quietly and knelt as close to the bedside as possible, while Fidget scrambled up Dust's chest so that she was directly over his face. Ginger nearly broke into tears of joy when Dust began to stir, and she could no longer hold back her now-restored tears when her son's eyes finally fluttered open.

"F…pfft!" he mumbled. "Fidget…gerroff…" he grunted, swatting Fidget back with his hand.

"Slowpoke! I beat you out of your own Soulscape!" Fidget grinned sleepily. Clearly, a trip to a different dimension really took its toll on you.

"Nnnngh…" Dust groaned, pushing himself upright — thankfully he was short enough to avoid hitting his head on the ceiling. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he finally noticed his mother sitting beside him. "M…Mom?"

"Dust!" Ginger exclaimed, bringing Dust into a hug as she wept tears of joy into his shoulder. "Thank goodness you're awake… I was so worried about you!"

"I'm sorry, Mom," Dust hiccoughed as he choked back a sob of his own. Fidget sat back and smiled. Having just spent time with the old adult Dust she had once known, there was something so sweet and heartwarming about this child Dust being reunited with the woman he called his mother. She couldn't be happier to know that she'd played a part in this happening.

"I'm so glad you're okay," Ginger whispered gently, kissing her son on the forehead. Dust grinned back into her shoulder.

"Jin says 'hi', by the way," he said.

"It is good to see you again, Dust," Lady Tethys smiled, her aura blinked between a happy golden-yellow and a gentle blue. Dust broke the hug with Ginger to face the deity — after bobbing the best bow he could give while bedridden, he gave his thanks to her for helping him wake up from his self-induced coma. "I am only glad that I was able to help you, Dust. You really should be thanking your friends once you see them again."

"Welcome back, Master," Ahrah spoke. "I am glad to see you well."

"You and me both, Ahrah," Dust smiled as the talking sword began floating at his bedside. "How long was I out?"

"Almost three days," Ginger replied. "I don't want any complaints about you not getting enough sleep after this."

"Oh, come on! I beat the cockerel to sunrise six out of seven days of the week!" Dust protested, sounding ever inch of the thirteen-year-old boy that he was. Fidget, Lady Tethys and Ginger all laughed softly at Dust's remark — the noise brought Bopo into the room out of curiosity.

"Well, I'll be darned!" he exclaimed. "Fidget really did it!"

"Bopo?" Dust blinked in surprise. "Is that you?"

"Surely I ain't changed that much, Dust," Bopo laughed. "Least, not as much as you have."

"Well…long story," Dust grimaced. Bopo chuckled and explained that Fidget had already told him what had happened. "It's good to see you again, Bopo. Have you been doing well?"

"Been doing just swell, Dust, thanks to you and what you did for Mudpot all those years ago," Bopo smiled. "My eldest is named after you, plus we gotta honorary memorial in the village for ya." Dust flushed pink under his pale fur again.

"You didn't have to, Bopo…" he mumbled modestly.

"Suck it up, Dust," Fidget shrugged. "You really should be used to this by now." Dust's stomach suddenly growled angrily, and the boy remembered that, due to his prolonged sleep, he hadn't eaten in nearly three days — if anything, the noise made him blush even further in embarrassment as laughter echoed through the hut. Ginger immediately headed through to the kitchen to serve up her curry, aided by Bopo who fetched some bowls and rice.

"Dust," Lady Tethys spoke while Ginger was preoccupied. "As I understand it, you are in fact made up of multiple souls?" Dust's smile vanished as he glanced worriedly around himself. "Do not fear, little one. The power of the Eye will not reach you while I am by your side."

"Phew…" Fidget sighed with relief. Dust echoed the sentiment before answering the question.

"Yes…and I've apparently gained a third one since being reborn," he replied. "The other two…"

"…are no longer part of the mortal world, I understand," Lady Tethys nodded. She held up a necklace, made of a simple silver chain with a pendant that looked similar to her coral-like collar. "I made this charm so that your souls will be protected. As long as you wear this, the Eye of the Life Thread cannot be used against you."

Dust let out a heavy sigh of relief and gratefully accepted the pendant (Fidget muttered a few "I told you she was going to sort something out"s under her breath which Dust either ignored or silenced by shoving the nimbat off the bed. Twice), placing it around his neck where it settled against his tunic. As Ginger came through with the curry, Lady Tethys explained that the pendant's power would weaken with proximity to the Eye of the Life Thread, but will nonetheless keep it from controlling Jin and Cassius' souls.

"How can we ever repay you, Lady Tethys?" Ginger asked as Dust and Fidget both began tucking into the curry.

"Put an end to this so that Dust no longer has to live in such fear," Lady Tethys replied. As Dust and Fidget finished their meals, Lady Tethys began glowing bright gold as she beckoned them to follow her outside. "Come. Your friends will be waiting for you."

As soon as Dust felt that he had enough strength to stand and walk, the group headed out of Bopo's hut and into Mudpot itself. There, a few Mudpots who Dust had known from a lifetime ago came up to greet him, many in awe of his child-like appearance (Fidget refused to keep explaining things and so left it to Bopo). The chatter of the Mudpots was soon broken by a cry of delight and a raven-haired Moonblood crashing into Dust with such force that he was nearly knocked off his feet.

"DUST!"

"Ack!" Dust croaked. "Ash…! Can't…can't breathe…!" Seriously, what was it with girls in his life nearly strangling him when they saw him? Ash quickly calmed herself down to a level where she was no longer choking Dust and released his neck, apologising profusely.

"I knew Fidget could do it!" she beamed, overjoyed at seeing her friend awake once more. "We all did! We knew you would pull through!"

"Oh, you don't know the half of it…" Fidget grumbled. Ginger frowned and asked what had actually happened within the Soulscape, but Ash suggested that they reunited with the rest of the party before explanations began, to save both Dust and Fidget the trouble of telling the same story over and over again. She went on to say that the others were stationed above ground in Aurora, having just deterred a small legion of Souldiers in Abadis Forest (the very mention of them made Dust shudder, and ever more determined to get moving once more), and so suggested that they head back up top to rejoin the others.

"Sounds like a plan," Fidget agreed. "If the Souldiers have already reached Abadis, we need to get moving soon and stop them before they reach Aurora."

"Agreed," Dust frowned. "I'm really sorry I kept everyone waiting for so long…this shouldn't have happened."

"Dust," Ash said. "We're not adding this to the list of Things that Aren't Your Fault Even Though You Insist on Blaming Yourself for Them."

"Don't you have a better name for that list?" Dust joked lightly.

"If you can come up with something better, we'll go with it," Ash shrugged. "For now, it is what it is."

"Let's take the short cut to the surface," Ginger suggested. "I don't fancy facing any more Trolks."

Saying farewell to the Mudpots, the group travelled to the village exit to the surface, where sunlight was streaming through into the caverns. Ginger was the first to exit, followed by Ash and Fidget, but Dust lagged behind as Lady Tethys called him back. Alone, the two began a private conversation.

"Thank you, Lady Tethys…for helping Fidget wake me up," Dust smiled sincerely. "I don't think I would have ever woken up if she hadn't come along."

"Think nothing of it, Dust," Lady Tethys replied. "I am glad that we were able to meet again…although I cannot say much for the circumstances."

"I wish they had been better too," Dust agreed. "Maybe that's just how Fate works."

"Perhaps," Lady Tethys nodded slowly. "Dust, you will need to know how to rid this world of these…Souldiers…that King Julius has called from the Life Thread."

"You know how to do that?"

"To return the souls of the departed to the Life Thread, one will need to place the Eye back upon its alter in its shrine within the Blackmoor Mountains," Lady Tethys explained. "Provided that you can separate the gem from the King and keep him occupied while it is returned, then his army of souls will be recalled to the Life Thread without further harm to innocent life."

"I think we can manage something," Dust figured. "We'll just need to find the shrine so that we know where to put the Eye when we get it."

"Indeed…" Lady Tethys said. Dust noticed that her aura had turned melancholy indigo, and he asked her why she sounded so sad…so concerned. After the boy pressed her a few times, the deity finally answered.

"Dust…there is something that you must understand about returning the Eye of the Life Thread to its shrine."

* * *

"What was with the hold up?" Fidget asked once Dust finally emerged above ground, shielding his eyes against the sun as they adjusted to the light again.

"Lady Tethys was just telling me about what we need to do with the Eye of the Life Thread," Dust replied. "If we return it to its shrine in the mountains, then the King's army will disappear."

"Well, provided we can get close enough to take it from him in the first place, that shouldn't be a problem," Ash noted. "I say we get Taka to pinch it."

"Somehow I think we'll need more of a plan than that," Dust smirked. "But it's not a bad start." Ginger studied the boy's face closely — despite the sly smirk she knew all to well from his pranks, there was a sadness in those eyes. She decided to ask him about it when they had a moment alone — if he wasn't saying anything now, it might not be something he wanted a lot of people to know.

"Let's head for Aurora," Ginger suggested. "We'll let the others know and then decide our next move from there." The fact that she had included 'we' and 'our' in the sentence caught everyone's attention.

"You're coming too, Ginger?" Fidget spluttered. Dust also looked less than happy with the idea.

"Someone other than Sanjin needs to be the responsible adult in the group," Ginger smirked. "And no, Taka and Kim don't count."

"But technically…"

"I'm not losing you again, Dust," Ginger said firmly, cutting across her son's protest. His eyes narrowed as he glared at her.

"And I'm not risking losing you again!" he argued. "You've been through way too much already — I'm not putting you in danger again."

"Dust, as much as I agree that it would be best for Ginger to stay as far away from danger as possible…" the Blade of Ahrah sighed. "I doubt there is anything we can do to change her mind at this point." Ginger made a statement of agreement and began marching towards Aurora while Ash, Dust and Fidget all shared an exasperated look and a frustrated sigh:

"Grownups."

* * *

Dust was met with the same joyous welcome the moment he stepped into Aurora as he'd done in Mudpot. The entire village was there to greet him, cheering and shouting congratulations of saving Ginger and making it back, some even lifting him up onto their shoulders before he scrambled down. Ginger was able to disperse the crowd before it got to overwhelming, but she didn't even attempt to stop the group of two Moonbloods, a grey cat Warmblood and a squirrel Warmblood running over.

"And Sleeping Beauty awakens," Taka remarked jokingly. Dust pouted.

"I preferred 'Shrimp' as a nickname…" he muttered. "And that wasn't an invitation to start calling me that again, either!" Taka laughed as she pulled the kid into a hug, ruffling his hair as she did so.

"It's good to have you back," she smiled.

"You really had us worried back there, Kid," Kim chimed in, slapping Dust on the back once he'd escaped Taka's arms. "You get first watch next time we set up camp."

"Just because I was asleep, doesn't mean I'm _rested_!" Dust protested.

"Yeah, I can vouch for that," Fidget nodded. "Not exactly the most peaceful of places in that Soulscape of his."

"You going to tell us what happened in there?" Jarin said. It was then that Dust actually acknowledged the noble-boy's presence.

"Wha…?! Jarin?!" he spluttered. "What in the name of the Overseers are you doing here?"

"Only helped get that deity underground help you out in the first place," Jarin shrugged nonchalantly. Of course — the last time Dust had seen him when his mind was his own, he'd been telling Jarin to leave Everdawn and go home before the battle had even started. "So, you're welcome."

"I told you to stay out of this!" Dust snapped. Ginger placed a hand on the boy's shoulder to stop him from going ballistic — no doubt Dust would. Still recovering from a stint in a twisted internal dimension was not doing good things to his temper.

"Dust, Jarin has been a great help to the team since you fell unconscious," she said calmly. "Like it or not, he's as much a part of the team as I am now." Dust buried his face in his hands in frustration, letting out a loud groan as he did so.

"DUST!"

The shriek pierced through the village like a wolf howl in the night. Dust barely had time to register the voice before he was tackled to the ground by something purple.

"AH!" he yelped, grunting as his back slammed into the ground.

"You're awake! You're awake! You're awake!"

The voice was coming out in relieved sobs, and once Dust's head was no longer swimming he smiled when he realised that it was Kalyn.

"It's okay, Kalyn…" he murmured. "I'm alright…"

"You sure?" Fidget snickered. "Because you might want to get your back checked after that tackle."

"Nice one, by the way, Kalyn," Ash giggled. Kalyn pushed herself off the ground and helped Dust back to his feet before throwing her arms around him again.

"I was so worried about you," she whispered. "When everyone came into Aurora, we saw Ginger and…we all thought that you'd done it…that you were home safe but then Sanjin was carrying you and you weren't moving and we were so scared that you…"

"Breathe, Kalyn!" Dust cut across, patting his friend gently on the back in reassurance. "You'll be next to pass out, otherwise." Kalyn took a few deep breaths before stepping away, turning to face the others.

"Thank you, everyone," she smiled. "I was scared I wasn't going to see my best friend again."

"Most of it was Fidget, really," Sanjin shrugged. "Without her, Dust would still be comatose." Kalyn asked what exactly had happened — after receiving a reassuring nod from his mother and a warm pulse from the Blade of Ahrah, Dust told her everything.

He told her that he was a creature made up of multiple souls, two of which died to create him in the first place fifteen years ago. He told her what happened in Everdawn, and how he'd locked his souls away to stop the King from controlling them…using them to hurt his friends and family. He told her…and told everyone present…that Fidget had found him within his Soulscape (explaining what that was to Kalyn as well) and tried persuading him to release the chains trapping his souls within it. He told them how he'd initially refused to do so, and the resulting argument between the two friends spiralled into a brawl which Fidget ultimately won. He told them how they tracked down his twin souls: Jin and Cassius, and told Kalyn who they were and how they made him who he was. He told the team how he'd unlocked those souls, allowing him and Fidget to return to the waking world, and how Lady Tethys has given him a charm to protect him against the power of the Eye of the Life Thread.

"She told me that the Eye needs to be returned to its shrine in the Blackmoor Mountains," Dust explained as his tale came to a close. "If we do that…then all the souls that have been torn from the Life Thread will return. The King's army will disappear."

"We'll stand a far greater chance if the Souldiers are taken out of the equation," Sanjin noted. "The King's own men feared them so greatly that many left the battlefield after they emerged. I don't think they were expecting their leader to commit such a crime against nature."

"So, provided we get the Eye back to its shrine…we've won," Kim surmised.

"More or less," Dust nodded.

"So what's our plan, then?" Ash asked. "I still say we get Taka to pinch the Eye."

"If you guys can give me a decent enough distraction, then I'm game with that," Taka shrugged. Dust thought for a moment.

"I might have one," he said. "In the Soulscape, I was able to talk with my twin souls. Cassius said that he wanted a chance to talk to the King…they were friends once."

"No," Ginger said firmly. "You are not letting that monster take control of you again."

"Cassius was just as horrified as anyone else was at what the King was doing, Ginger!" Dust snapped back. At the use of her first name, Ginger recoiled in shock — in this life, Dust had only ever called her that once before…on Everdawn after she'd woken her brother's soul within him. His eyes met hers…

They were the same colour as hers.

"Jin?" she whispered. Dust nodded, and when he spoke it was with Jin's voice: gentle and kind.

"He was fighting the Eye's power when Dust put us on lockdown," he said. "He won't make a move against anyone Dust calls a friend."

"He made a vow on that, not that I trust him as far as I can throw him," Fidget confirmed. Dust's eyes returned to their normal pale blue, signifying that Jin's presence had receded.

"I doubt any of us do, but it's the best chance we have," he pointed out. "Lady Tethys' charm will protect me from the Eye's power…though it will get trickier the closer I get to it. But if I can distract the King, whether that's by talking to him or if it gets to a fight, that should give Taka an opportunity to steal the gem."

"I don't like the idea of the inner assassin taking over, Shrimp," Taka frowned. "But it it's our only chance, then I guess we have to take it. Anyone have any better ideas?"

There was silence.

"Fine," Dust nodded firmly. "It's settled."

"We'll need to track down the shrine before confronting the King," Kim pointed out. "It's not going to do us any good if Taka manages to pinch the Eye but then not know where to put it."

"Elder Grey-Eyes…may he rest peacefully in Elysium…" Ash began, murmuring the ancient blessing before continuing. "…said that the shrine was located not far from New Zeplich. We start there and fan out, we should find it."

"There aren't many who know the exact location anymore," Sanjin noted. "Except the King himself, clearly, but he's off the books." Jarin's eyes lit up.

"But his research isn't!" he exclaimed. "Apparently he's spent the last fifteen years looking for this thing — his notes are bound to have something on where the shrine is. And I think we know exactly who to ask to go snooping around in his office."

"Okay, you successfully nabbed the Starsheen Knives that one time, Coat-Tails," Taka deadpanned. "That doesn't make you a sleuth."

"I was talking about Ellie!" Jarin protested. "She's pretty much got free reign of the castle while her father's out."

"Elissa?" Dust remembered. "Of course! How fast can you get a message to her, Jarin?" Jarin was already scribbling something down on a piece of spotted and crumple parchment from his pocket.

"How fast can your pet fly?" he asked.

"Fidget is not a pet," Dust growled in response. Fidget looked as if she took personal offence from the remark as well.

"Whatever. How fast can she fly?"

"Weather depending, nimbats can fly between twelve to sixty miles an hour," Fidget said smugly. Dust didn't know whether to be impressed or suspicious — that range seemed rather large. "I can get the message to the princess and bring back a reply before tomorrow."

"Can you manage flying that long?" Dust asked.

"Pfft! Ye of little faith, Dust," Fidget chuckled. Dust shrugged and pointed out under his breath that Fidget was A) Scared of heights (which still made no sense to him) and B) Didn't fare well when her stomach was empty. Fidget elected to ignore him and proceeded to take the note that Jarin had written. Kalyn, in the meantime, stood awkwardly to the side.

"So, you're really leaving again?" she asked Dust. The boy turned to face his childhood friend and nodded sadly.

"Things still need to be done, Kalyn," he replied. "I can't leave business unfinished again." Kalyn nodded in understanding.

"Just…come back conscious this time, please?" she asked. "And stop worrying your mother and teammates so much?" Dust didn't answer immediately — from the side, Ginger could tell that he looked almost heartbroken, as if he was going to make a promise that he knew he couldn't keep. Kalyn let out a small squeak of surprise when Dust pulled her into a hug.

"I'll try…" he whispered. "I'll try."

"'Try' isn't good enough," Kalyn muttered.

"I can't promise, Kalyn," Dust sighed regretfully. "But I'll do my best." Kalyn squeezed him tightly before breaking the hug. Fidget was just about to head off with the note for Elissa when Kalyn's face suddenly lit up.

"Hold on…Fidget, did you say that you fought Dust when you were in his Soulscape to wake him up?" she asked. Dust frowned, as did Fidget, Ginger and everyone else present. What did this have to do with anything?

"Yes?" Fidget nodded slowly, trying to catch on with what Kalyn was thinking.

"And you won?" Kalyn recalled. Dust's frown deepened — he thought he'd explained that loud and clear not ten minutes ago?

"Evidently, why?" he quizzed. Kalyn's face slowly shifted into a knowing smirk and she winked at Fidget whose face lit up with realisation before she giggled loudly. Not for the first time that week, a memory flashed through Dust's mind but this one wasn't one of his previous life, or either of Jin or Cassius' memories. This was his own.

From this life.

From less than a week ago.

 _Trolk fingers._

"Oh…oh! Wha…you're seriously going to…?" Dust stammered as he twigged onto what his friends were talking about. His eyes went wide with embarrassment and his fur was being tinged with pink again. "That does _not_ count!"

"Oh, it does so, you sore loser!" Fidget cackled, clutching her sides with laughter.

"Dust, is there something you need to tell me?" Ginger frowned, raising a brow.

"NO!" Dust yelled, his voice cracking as he desperately tried to save his skin from further humiliation.

"Dust lost a bet with Kalyn," Fidget explained without skipping a beat.

"FIDGET!" Another voice crack.

"Again?" Ginger sighed, unable to stop a smile spreading across her face. Honestly, when it came to bets, Dust had the worst luck in the world, she swore by Elysium.

"Yep!" Kalyn laughed, her eyes watering.

"What was it this time?" Ginger asked, crossing her arms as Dust tried burying his face in her apron. The other members of the team were also beside themselves with laughter.

"If Fidget beat Dust in a fight then he has to wear a satgat," Kalyn explained. Dust let out a loud groan of frustration — not the stupid hat…not the stupid hat! The Blade of Ahrah was floating at his side and the runes on its blade seemed to twinkle playfully.

"Now, now, Dust," it said in what could only be described as a joking tone. "Be gracious in defeat."

"You're not helping!" Dust cried. "And you're supposed to be on my side!"

"A fight is a fight, Dust," Ahrah said simply. "Regardless of which dimension it took place in. Fidget defeated you fair and square." Dust groaned again — he really thought that, for once, he'd actually made a bet that he could win. He hadn't taken into account exactly how determined a ticked-off nimbat could actually be.

"You wouldn't get yourself into these situations if you weren't so terrible with bets, Scamp," Ginger snickered. Dust grumbled incoherently, crossing his arms sulkily as he avoided eye contact with everyone in the area. "Come now — you lost a wager. Now deal with the consequences."

Kalyn squeaked with delight and grabbed Dust by the arm, half dragging him towards the shop where the satgat was waiting. Dust shot a pout over his shoulder.

"I hate you all, _capische_?" he grumbled. Ginger chuckled and wiped a tear of laughter from her eye.

"I love you too, Scamp," she called back.

After everything that happened, laughter was the best respite that anyone could have hoped for.


	23. Confrontation

**Confrontation**

Dust found that, if he angled the satgat up ever so slightly so that he could actually see, it wasn't so bad wearing it. If anything, it kept the sun out of his eyes. The teasing from Fidget soon wore off and she'd even admitted that it looked alright on him. Ash and Ginger made a few comments about how it made Dust look the part of the hero the people of Falana knew him to be; Kim, Taka and Sanjin had thankfully stayed quiet about it; and Jarin had been at the receiving end of a smack to the head when he'd mocked it. Said smack coming from Dust.

Aside from the upgrades armour that everyone was wearing, Dust had given Ginger the Iced Steel dagger that Kalyn had given him nearly a week ago — as much as everyone agreed that the woman's throwing skills were something to be feared, Dust didn't want his mother tagging along as she had insisted without something to defend herself at close range. Dust was still less than happy about Ginger staying with the group regardless, but there was no arguing with his mother.

"Someone has to make sure you make it back alive this time," Ginger had argued, multiple times.

"And _someone_ has to make sure you don't get yourself in trouble!" Dust had protested.

"Listen, I'll stay out of the main fighting — I know you're skilled enough to handle that, Scamp. But someone's going to need to patch you lot up afterwards."

Following a brief meeting in Aurora the morning after Fidget had arrived back from Falun in record-time (out of puff because of it, so she'd been camping under Dust's hat ever since), the group had decided to split in order to handle preparations that they knew would be necessary before the final fight. Ash, Kim and Sanjin had headed towards New Zeplich to prepare the rest of the Moonblood army and their allies — Ash had even figured out a way to infuse weapons with Flameless Light which would allow them to be used against the Souldiers — while Taka and Jarin had decided to do what they could to sabotage enemy operations.

"There might not be much we can do about the Souldiers," Taka had said. "But the Royal Army can't be best pleased with their King's actions. We might be able to get some inside help along the way."

"Besides, I've always wanted to mess up some serious army operations," Jarin smirked. "This should be fun."

"You scare me sometimes, Jarin," Dust sighed.

That had left Dust, Ginger, and a still complaining Fidget to find the Shrine of the Life Thread. They'd accompanied the others all the way to New Zeplich, where the different groups had split off, but now the trio were trekking through a completely new part of the mountains, Ginger leading the way and Dust now sporting some much warmer gear than previously.

"Are you sure all we've got to go on is that the Shrine is located in the western mountain region?" Dust asked, lifting his satgat slightly to make sure Fidget hadn't dozed off.

"Okay, I _may_ have pushed Ellie a little for time…"

"Since when were you two on nickname basis?!"

"…but she said that's all she could find," Fidget replied sheepishly. "That King guy did a thorough job of getting rid of his research."

"Wasn't there something else about it being in the 'Mountain that was touched by the Lights of Elysium'?" Ginger asked as she pulled Dust up another ledge. Having grown up in the mountains, she was more or less in her element. "Has anyone figured out what that means, yet?"

"The Lights of Elysium are often described as multicoloured lights that dance across the sky," the Blade of Ahrah explained. "It was long thought to be the Life Thread itself, and so a shrine was erected in the place where, once in a blue moon, they touched the earth."

"We don't have time to wait for a 'blue moon'," Dust huffed. "There has to be another way of finding it."

"Well, don't look at me," Fidget shrugged, peeking out from under Dust's hat. "You guys are the ones that can't fly." Dust was still trying to make his temporary wings stick around for more than one flap at a time.

"Ahrah can float."

"That doesn't count."

"We'll think of something," Ginger sighed. "Let's keep moving — I want to find a cave to camp in before it gets too dark."

The sun was already setting over the mountains, and being at such a high altitude the sunset was visible for miles, illuminating the snow in a pink glow. For a moment, as they climbed over another ridge, Dust, Ginger and Fidget took a moment to admire the sight before them.

"It's been a long time since I've seen this view," Ginger smiled. "At least some things never change." Dust smiled in turn, his eyes flickering dark blue just long enough for Fidget and Ginger to notice.

"I take it Jin's admiring the view as well?" Fidget asked. Dust nodded.

"It's part of home," he replied. "He hasn't seen it in a long time, either." Ginger wiped a tear from her eye, moved by her son's kindness. Dust noticed. "You really miss him, huh?"

"More than I can ever say," Ginger admitted. "But you know that I thank Elysium everyday that I was able to raise you as my son," she added, hugging Dust close with a smile.

"And done a darn good job of doing so," Fidget grinned. Ginger laughed softly when Dust suddenly broke away from her. "Dust? You okay?"

"That light…" the boy murmured, looking at a mountain that stood apart from the rest. It was nearly perfectly triangular in shape, covered in snow. Half of it was bathed in the soft pink light of the sunset, but there was one speck of light that seemed to shine even brighter, coloured bright cyan.

"Where's that…?" Fidget began to ask when her gaze drifted to the Blade of Ahrah still held in Dust's hand. Its runes were glowing, somehow even brighter than usual, with the lights focusing into a single point. "Dust! Raise the Blade of Ahrah!"

Dust did so, angling the sword so that the last of the sunlight caught the metal and strengthened the lights from the runes. Ginger gasped as a beam of cyan light shot from the blade, piercing the mountainside where the tiny dot of light had been seen.

"The Lights of Elysium…" Dust repeated. "The Light from a _Blade_ of Elysium!"

"Well, no one ever said the lights had to come from the sky," Fidget shrugged.

"Fly on ahead, Fidget," Ahrah instructed. "Mark the spot where my light hits that mountain. We shall catch up with you."

"Way ahead of you," Fidget nodded. "Will you two be okay?"

"We'll be fine, don't worry," Dust reassured. Satisfied that the mother and son duo could keep each other alive and safe, Fidget shot off to follow the beam of light. With the nimbat gone, things seemed to get a lot quieter in the mountains but Dust kept the mood relatively light by remarking that at least there was a smaller chance of avalanches being set off.

As the sun set over the horizon, Ginger found a cave she deemed suitable to camp in for the night and set out the sleeping equipment. Dust lit a small campfire as the Blade of Ahrah hovered nearby before the two Warmbloods sat near the entrance to the cave, watching the moon and stars blink into life in the skies above. In the distances, above what remained of the Everdawn Basin, the faint scar of the Life Thread could be seen glistening in the heavens.

"It's like he's torn the sky apart," Dust muttered. "At this rate the entire world's going to be torn to shreds…"

"We're going to fix it, Scamp," Ginger comforted, hugging him close. "We'll fix it…we'll end this…then we can go home. Properly. You see if we don't." Dust didn't answer straight away, instead letting out a quiet, sad sigh. "Is something wrong, sweetheart?"

"Huh? Oh, no," Dust shook his head, pulling away from his mother. "I'm fine. Just got a lot on my mind, is all."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Ginger offered. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

"Yeah…I know…" Dust still sounded hesitant. "It's just…it's been a crazy week. So much has changed, I just…" Taking a deep breath, Dust seemed to pick his words carefully before speaking. "I'm just a bit worried about what else could change…for everyone. Not just me."

"A lot _has_ changed, Dust," Ahrah agreed. "And no one can express how much we all wish this had not happened to you at such a young age…or indeed at all. But life is all about change, and it is something that we cannot stop."

"Ahrah's right," Ginger nodded. "Things _do_ change, sometimes in ways we don't want them to…but we can change things for the better. You did it before, remember? And we'll all help you do it again."

"Yeah…thanks," Dust smiled. There was still a sadness in his eyes, and with the satgat resting nearby Ginger could see the emotion etched into every hair on her son's face.

"That's not all, is it?" she pressed gently. "You've been out of sorts since we left the Caverns…did something happen?" Dust suddenly broke eye contact, so Ginger carefully brought his face back towards her. "Dust…tell me, please," she begged. "Did Lady Tethys tell you something?"

"She…" Dust began, taking his head out of Ginger's hand. "What if I don't make it again?" he asked. "What if I'm not meant to make it out of this?"

"Sweetheart, I will not let that happen," Ginger insisted. "You're _going_ back to Aurora with me…you're coming home this time. We're not losing you again."

"But what if?" Dust argued. "What if I can't avoid it?"

"You will," Ginger said firmly, bringing Dust into a hug. "I'll make sure of it." Seeing how much the topic was distressing Dust, Ginger decided to not press the matter any further, but she decided as the two settled down to sleep that she would do everything in her power to make sure that Dust made it back alive.

* * *

It was late morning the following day that Ginger and Dust caught up with Fidget. As hoped, the nimbat had found the elusive shrine hidden deep within the craggy mountain side — exploring it further revealed a cavern lit up with the same cyan light that illuminated the Blade of Ahrah.

"It's…beautiful in here," Dust remarked breathlessly.

"I know, right?" Fidget agreed. "Now _this_ is what I imagine when I think of 'dedicated to Elysium'." Ginger asked about what the nimbat clan had. "Look, as far as architecture's concerned, we don't exactly do much apart from a couple of twigs and rocks. We nimbats are simple folk, okay?"

Dust opted not to comment on that statement and suggested that they marked the shrine on the map and head back out to meet up with the others, as well as the location of a teleporter they found nearby. Fidget, once more exhausted from flying, insisted on hiding under Dust's cloak for the journey back to New Zeplich.

* * *

Dust was amazed and pleasantly surprised to see so many of Royal Army Soldiers in New Zeplich Village as part of the Moonblood ranks. Many had ditched their blue and gold armour and adopted the colours of the Moonbloods and their allies, some were helping tending to those still recovering from the battle a few days prior, and others were talking to the creatures they'd once been sworn to kill.

"Taka can be really persuasive," Jarin explained when Dust had asked about it. "Julius' ranks have seriously thinned out…not counting his Life Thread lackeys but things have beefed up on this side of the field."

"Did you even manage to get round to sabotaging anything?" Dust ask. Jarin winked.

"You'll see," he snickered. Dust tried pressing him but didn't get any further in the matter. "Did Kim fill you in on the plan?"

"We surround the King's base of operations, which is now on the Sunrose side of the mountains," Dust nodded. "Near to the Life Thread Shrine, according to our maps."

"Then Dust and I go face to face with Julius," Fidget recited. "Try to talk some sense into him with _major_ emphasis on 'try'."

"I still don't think letting your assassin-soul taking charge is a good idea," Jarin frowned.

"You and everyone else," Dust huffed. "It's the only chance we've got. I'll be fine — I can feel the presence of the Eye, but Lady Tethys' charm is keeping the King from taking control."

"If you say so," Jarin sighed. "So you _try_ talking to His Highness, and see if you can get him to voluntarily surrender the Eye?"

"Yep, then if everything goes south…which it probably will…" Fidget shrugged. "That's where you guys come in. Taka will snatch the Eye, then give it to Sanjin who'll take it to the Shrine while we keep the king occupied."

It was the best and only plan they had — knowing the stakes placed on the upcoming battle, Dust knew that they couldn't afford to mess this chance up.

This was the last chance they had for peace in Falana.

* * *

"No matter how this ends, it ends today!" Dust shouted to the army behind him as they faced a shimmering mass ahead of them. A roar sounded in reply from the crowd, both Moonblood and Warmblood alike. Opposite them, Dust could see a bright blue glow, like a small star — the Eye of the Life Thread, still in the hands of King Julius. Dust winced as he felt something tug inside him, and clutched Lady Tethys' charm from reassurance.

"We've got this," Fidget whispered, her paws glowing with energy ready to be released. The Blade of Ahrah flickered reassuringly in Dust's hand, and beside him the entire party he'd built up over his adventure glanced at him with determination shining in their eyes. Dust had faith in them, and trusted them to watch his back, knowing that they trusted him to watch theirs as well.

No way was he letting them down.

"FOR FALANA!" he bellowed with more volume than thought possible from a thirteen-year-old, as the army behind him began charging towards the opposition. Spinning the Blade of Ahrah in his hands, Dust leapt from the boulder he'd been standing on, boosting himself through the air with an aerial Dust Storm as he and his friends raced to meet the Souldiers.

The battle was furious and waited for no one. The Souldiers slipped between the ranks of the Moonbloods and their allies, leaving trails of silver blue light behind them as they did so. Thanks to the Flameless Light infused weapons, however, it wasn't a case of "they touch you, you die" anymore, and the Moonblood army were holding their own far better than they did in the Everdawn Basin. Streaks of lightning-blue-white light caused the entire battlefield to shine painfully bright — luckily, this had taken this into consideration when Ash had infused the arsenal with Flameless Light and the Moonblood army was well equipped with visors to protect their eyes.

Dust was actually grateful for the protection the satgat gave him from the glare.

"Fine! I take it back," Fidget grumbled when Dust voiced this out loud. "It's not a stupid hat."

Dust pushed his way through the battlefield until finally, he reached the dais where King Julius stood. The man had just swatted away what looked like the fifth Moonblood in as many minutes, so Dust shouted out in order to grab his attention.

"King Julius!"

The call worked, and the regal lion Warmblood turned on his heels to face the teenager before him. Almost immediately, he raised his sceptre, the Eye of the Life Thread shining brightly as it reached out to the souls within Dust. The boy grunted slightly, but the charm held firm.

"Cassius, I command you to return to my side!" Julius ordered.

"For the last time, I'm not Cassius!" Dust insisted. "You know, I _was_ going to try negotiating, but call me that _one more time_ when I'm still me and you'll be pulling that sceptre out of very painful places."

"DUST!" Ahrah reprimanded sharply, horrified.

"You tell him," Fidget snickered.

"I'm surprised you would even dare come so close to me, Little One," Julius remarked. "But you cannot hope to win. My army is one that will never fall, and each soldier you lose is one that joins my side."

"It doesn't have to be this way, Your Majesty," Dust pleaded. There was a pause as Dust closed his eyes, murmuring something under his breath. When his eyes opened again, the irises were crimson. Cassius was in control. "Please, Julius," he spoke softly. "Reconsider."

"I thought you just told me that you were not Cassius," Julius scoffed.

"I asked him for a chance to speak with you directly," Cassiust replied. "He was kind enough to agree."

The king raised the Eye of the Life Thread again, and this time Fidget gasped quietly as she saw her friend flinch. The charm was weakened by the dominance of a fallen soul when it was so close to the Eye — Fidget knew they had limited time for this.

"You could fight by my side again, my friend," King Julius said. "Right the wrongs those beasts forced you to commit…"

"No, Julius," Cassiust shook his head. "I will not fight for the destruction of this kingdom, nor the salvation of it. My time of fighting ended years ago, I merely lend Dust my strength. You know this."

"Why do you allow it?" Julius snarled. "Have you no pride left?"

"My pride…took a dent on that fateful day," Cassiust winced. For a moment, Dust snapped back into control and hissed something sharply before Cassius' presence returned. Fidget shot him a look.

"What was that about?" she quizzed.

"Minor disagreement," Cassiust replied simply. "Nothing more."

"I am not surprised you are left so ashamed, Cassius," the king spat. "You were my finest warrior, the greatest this kingdom…no, this world had ever known! And you were taken down by the hands of a child."

"As we've established numerous times, but that is besides the point, Majesty," Cassiust sighed, the familiarity in his tone disappearing. "The point, Julius, is that you are ruining this kingdom…the kingdom you swore to protect when you ascended the throne."

"You dare tell me how to enact my duties?!"

"I implore you to see reason!" Cassiust argued. "This power…the power of Elysium…it is not meant to be wielded by mortal hands, much less as you have done!"

"What you're doing is going to tear the cosmos apart!" Fidget added desperately. "You keep this up, and you won't have a kingdom to protect!"

"Stand down, Julius," Cassiust begged. "End this war…let Falana live in peace. Perhaps in another world, we would have succeeded, and the Moonbloods would no longer exist. But that is over, Your Highness. The Moonbloods live on…perhaps it is not their time."

"Their time came long ago, Cassius, and you know it as well as I!" Julius roared.

"Who are we to decide that?" Cassiust argued. "We destroyed so much in the name of purifying this kingdom…can't you recognise that and try rebuilding it instead?!"

"Those creatures are a blot on this kingdom!" Julius snapped. "With this…" He held up the Eye of the Life Thread proudly. "…we have a chance to end this for good! Join me, Cassius, and we can finish what we both started!"

The Eye shone blindingly bright once again, and Dust flinched once more under its power. Fidget clutched his arm as a reminder that she was by his side and not leaving him. The charm around his neck was starting to fracture.

"Dust! Hang in there!" Fidget cried. Grunting, Dust straightened himself out, still speaking in Cassius' voice.

"Julius…" he murmured. "I may hold the same resentment towards the Moonbloods as I always have…for what they are…and what they did to my soul…but I am no longer in a position to decide their fate," he said, raising the Blade of Ahrah. As he did, the image of a thirteen-year-old boy seemed to melt away, replaced by that of a fully grown warrior garbed in blue. Fidget's heart soared as she caught the glimpse of the warrior still living within Dust.

Sen-Mithrarin.

"You still have a choice, my friend," Julius implored. "Join me…"

"My ability to choose my own path ended fifteen years ago when Sen-Mithrarin was born," Cassiust interrupted. With that, Dust's eyes flickered back to pale blue and Cassius' presence receded. "I'll give you one last chance, Your Majesty," Dust growled. "Either raise your blade against me and fight, or drop it and surrender the Eye of the Life Thread."

King Julius scowled at the boy in front of him and drew his sabre.

"I will not answer to the demands of a child," he snarled. "It will give me no pleasure to kill you…but your souls will be at my command once I do."

Dust glanced at Fidget and the duo shared a nod, determination dancing in their eyes like a forest fire.

"So be it."


	24. Call of the Life Thread

**The Call of the Life Thread**

Fidget decided that she was going to demand a week-long nap once this was all over because, quite frankly, she wasn't sure if her wings could take much more strain and that was when she was running on adrenaline and five (count them, _five_ ) cupcakes. As soon as Dust had begun to clash blades with the King of Falana, he'd sent her off into the battlefield to find the others — Taka and Sanjin, she was tracking down as a first priority: if any opportunity came up to steal the Eye of the Life Thread, those two had to be there in order to take it.

It didn't take her long to discover that the thief and the Moonblood engineer had taken station on one of the hijacked cannons Taka and Jarin had managed to secure during the pre-battle preparations.

"HEEEEEY!" Fidget screeched as loudly as she could manage, setting of a fire column for good measure.

"I'm guessing that talking to the maniac didn't go as planned?" Taka grunted as she fired another cannonball into a passing airship. Fidget panted and flopped over the woman's shoulder for a second.

"No, I came to tell you that there's been a ceasefire," she replied dryly. "OF COURSE IT DIDN'T WORK!" Taka nodded and nudged Sanjin in the ribs.

"Come on, Old Man," she called. "Send the signal to the others — we have a sceptre to pinch."

"Who are you calling 'Old Man'?!" Sanjin cried in protest, setting off a flare that exploded above the battlefield before running after Taka. She never made any other comment about the matter.

In the battlefield, Ash spotted the flare rising over the armies. Blasting one final group of Souldiers out of her way, she shouted for Kim and Jarin (who Kim was reprimanding _again_ for using his bow as a melée weapon) before clearing a path.

"I knew negotiating wasn't going to work," Kim grumbled.

"Hey, it was a better plan than going in all guns blazing or whatever else you tried coming up with while you were sleepwalking," Ash shrugged, infusing one of Jarin's arrows with magic as he shot down a line of enemy soldiers, both Warmblood and Souldiers alike.

"Still a horrible plan," Jarin muttered. "And thanks for the boost."

They were joined en route by Ginger, who'd taken to wielding a staff to defend herself in any way that she could. She had stayed out of most of the fighting, only entering the thick of the battlefield when the area was clear enough for her to administer some basic healing — it was just about enough for the injured to drag themselves back to the camp and rest while they could.

"I hope Dust is hanging on," she panted as she sprinted alongside the ex-noble-boy and the two Moonbloods.

"He's certainly stubborn enough to!" Kim huffed back. "I'm sure he's fine."

Back on the dais, Dust continued to clash blades with King Julius. However, as Cassius had said in the Soulscape, if Gaius was the only one Cassius had never been able to beat in a fight, then the King was the only one _Gaius_ had ever lost a fight to.

"AH!" Dust winced as a sabre nicked his arm.

"How many times must I tell you that it is useless to fight me, boy?" Julius growled. Dust shrugged with all the impudence of a child.

"At least once more," he bit back. "I don't like listening to people who hurt my mom."

"By Elysium…how are you the same Master I had fifteen years ago?" Ahrah sighed. Dust was about to say that, in his defence, this was the first time he'd ever shown any real childishness during the adventure but had to roll out of the way of an incoming blow before he could say anything. Julius' sabre caught part of Dust's cape and it tore away slightly, with Dust thanking the Overseers of Elysium that the fabric it was made from wasn't too strong.

"You are powerful, child," Julius remarked scornfully. "That, I shall not deny. But you are too merciful," he snarled. "You lack the resolve to even try ending my life." _Well, unlike_ some _, I'm not a murderer_. "Such a weakness was one that Cassius never had."

"This isn't looking good…" Dust murmured, readying Ahrah the best he could with an injured arm. He was preparing to block another blow when a flurry of energy orbs and a bolt of lighting struck the King from multiple directions, blasting him backwards and knocking the sceptre from his hands.

"Cavalry's here!" Ash grinned as she poked Dust's arm with a quick healing spell. Fidget was looking in better spirits, probably from having a boost from Ginger's potions and Ash's magic, but she was still grumbling about needing food and sleep. Dust grinned back as the group arrived, shrugging slightly as he brushed himself down.

"I had it covered," he joked.

"Sure you did," Ash smirked.

"Kids, focus!" Kim barked lightly, patting Dust gently on the back.

"LET'S GET 'IM!" Fidget cheered. On cue, the four tackled the King as he began to reach for the sceptre. The man was strong, but the weight of three teenagers was enough to keep him occupied.

"TAKA! SANJIN! NOW!" Dust yelled. Taka was already two steps ahead of the boy and had jumped in as soon as she had an opening, snatching the sceptre from the ground and throwing it to Sanjin as he passed by. The Moonblood engineer disappeared into the battlefield as Julius finally threw off the teens holding him down.

"NO!" he bellowed. "You shall return that this instant!" He grunted as Dust grabbed his ankle to prevent him from following Sanjin.

"You're not going anywhere!" he snapped, only to cry out in pain as a metal-capped boot came into solid contact with his nose.

"You and your lot have tested my patience one too many times, boy!" the King roared, grabbing his sabre off the ground ("Taka! How could you miss that?!" "I wasn't concentrating on every minute detail, okay, Coat-Tails?!") and assuming a fighting stance. His immediate action was to go for Ash and Kim, but a well timed Flameless Light from Ash sent him flying once again, opening him up for a combo from Taka.

"Let's finish this!" Dust yelled.

"Go get him, Champ!" Ginger shouted from the sidelines, ducking behind a nearby boulder whenever a stray projectile or magic blast came in her direction. As long as she kept herself out of trouble, Dust knew he shouldn't worry about his mother. For now, he needed to focus on the king long enough for Sanjin to get to the Shrine. He was grateful that they'd thought to set up a teleporter from the village earlier otherwise one side or the other would be dead long before Sanjin would reach the correct mountain.

Blades rang in a cacophony of metal on metal, explosions of magic, fire, and lightning, and the thuds of arrows against armour. Most of the duelling happened between Dust and the King, but whenever the boy needed to take a step back, the rest of the party were ready to take over while he gathered some more strength. For a five on one ("Hey!" Sorry, five on one plus Fidget. "Oh, come on!") battle, Julius was remarkably holding his own, whirling around to counter any attack that came from behind and still turning back in time to block attacks from the front.

"Damn…he's good," Taka grunted. Dust had long since lost his hat and spat out what looked suspiciously like a tooth (later inspection revealed that it was a bit of gravel, thank heavens).

"We've…gotta hold out…" he panted. "He…he can't be far…"

"Come on, Papa…" Ash murmured pleadingly. She was running low on magic reserves again, and Kim and Jarin were running out of ammo. She cried out in terror as the King swung his sabre towards her — with little magic left she brought up her tome as her only form of defence, only to flinch as the clang of swords rang once again.

Dust grunted as he forced the King away from Ash with every ounce of strength he had. At this stage, it wasn't much but it was all he could do to make sure that a) his friends didn't die on his watch, and b) Sanjin had enough time to…

Dust didn't even get time to finish the thought as a cyan light bathed the entire battlefield. Halting in the duel, Dust and the King turned to find the source, eyes widening at the sight of a dancing ribbon of light rising from the mountain where the Shrine of the Life Thread was located.

"No…" Julius murmured in despair.

"He did it," Dust said quietly. There was quiet celebration from all except King Julius upon the dais, and as the ribbon of light climbed further into the sky it reached towards the tear in the cosmos that was the Life Thread itself. As the two touched, the sky seemed to heal, and on the ground below a miracle in itself was unfolding.

The Souldiers had stopped their assault on the Moonbloods and their allies, fading into clouds of blue-white light as they began to return to the Life Thread. The light soon grew too bright to even look at, given the number of Souldiers that the King had summoned, and the group were soon forced to shield their eyes.

"We've won!" Ash cheered, her joy cutting over the King's cries of despair. "We did it!"

Laughs echoed around the team from all members except for Dust, who stood at the very edge of the dais without saying a word. He felt strange, as if something gentle was beckoning him to follow…like a mother gently taking a child's hand to take it home after a long day of play.

Taking his arms away from his face, Dust realised that the light no longer hurt to look at.

Fidget was the first to realise that Dust had fallen quiet. Looking over at him, she shrieked in terror at what she saw. Dust's entire being was glowing with the same light as that of the Life Thread, and starting to drift away in the same clouds of stars as the Souldiers on the battlefield.

"Dust? DUST!" she screened. The yell caught the attention of the others, and Ginger ran from her hiding place, yelling her son's name in desperation.

Dust could hardly hear her. Instead, the words of Lady Tethys…the words she had spoken to him before he left the Cirromon Caverns…echoed through his head with the painful reminder of the fate he knew that he would face at this moment.

* * *

 _"Dust…there is something that you must understand about returning the Eye of the Life Thread to its shrine," Lady Tethys said sadly once Ash, Ginger and Fidget had left Mudpot to head back up to the surface. Dust, as she had hoped, had hung back to listen._

 _"What is it, Lady Tethys?" he asked. The look on his face was one of worried curiosity, and seeing that expression in the face of a child made the Guardian Deity's heart break._

 _"It is true that returning the Eye to its rightful place in the shrine will recall all of the souls that the King has raised for his army," she explained. "But there is something else, something that even my charm cannot protect you against."_

 _Dust's face turned down as he realised exactly what Lady Tethys was talking about._

 _"You mean…?"_

 _"Yes," the deity nodded solemnly, her aura turning melancholy indigo once again. "Restoring the Eye of the Life Thread will recall all of the souls that have been pulled from the Life Thread into the mortal realm…including yours."_

 _"I…I see," Dust said. There was barely any expression to his voice._

 _"Will you still go ahead with this?" Lady Tethys asked. "Knowing what will happen?"_

 _"There's no other way," Dust sighed. "And even if there was, we don't have time to find out what it is. The King's already caused enough damage to this land as it is…if we don't do something now, he'll end up destroying us all."_

 _"I see," Lady Tethys replied. "You haven't changed, Dust. You may be young in this life, but I still see the young man that saved me from my own darkness. I do not doubt that you can do the same for this faded world…I only wish that it did not have to be this way."_

 _"Whatever it takes," Dust said with soft determination. "I have to finish what I started. I have to save this world…even if it means that I can't be there to see it."_

* * *

Ginger had broken past everyone on the dais as she raced towards her son. The others were frozen in terror and disbelief at what they were seeing — Dust was fading away before their eyes, just like the Souldiers.

How could they not have seen this coming? Dust had two souls taken from the Life Thread himself…

Ginger couldn't accept it.

"DUST!" she shrieked. It was at her voice that Dust finally turned, his eyes filled with a sad acceptance of his fate. He could not, however, stop himself from reaching out to the one who had tried so hard to make sure that he could live a life away from conflict.

"Mom!" Dust cried back, his voice barely more than a hushed echo. Ginger tried desperately to wrap her arms around him, as if that would stop the call of the Life Thread from taking him away again, but Dust disappeared into a cloud of stars just as she would have collided with him.

The entire group could do nothing but gaze after the lights as the Life Thread began to close, the images of Jin and Cassius flickering into sight for a mere moment before fading away as quickly as they had appeared. Then, as gracefully and as softly as the Lights of Elysium dancing across the sky, the Life Thread vanished from view, leaving the sky streaked with a scarlet sunset as Dust's hat rested on the ground.

As the Life Thread vanished, the Blade of Ahrah clattered to the ground, its metal cold, and its lights gone.


	25. Gone Home

**Gone Home:**

With the lights in the sky faded, now being replaced by faint stars as the sun disappeared over the mountains, Ginger collapsed onto her knees by the Blade of Ahrah, her tears dripping onto the cold metal. Fidget swiftly joined her, eyes brimming with tears as she placed a tentative paw on the Blade of Ahrah as Ginger picked up the fallen satgat, clutching it to her chest.

"No…Dust…no…" she whispered, hiccoughing through her tears. "Why…? Why?"

"Did…did he know?" Jarin murmured, breaking the disbelieving silence.

"Why would he do this if he did?" Kim wondered. "Moreover, why didn't he tell us?!"

"It's a hero's way," a snarl spat. The group spun on their heels to face the King, kneeling haggard over his sabre as he overlooked the battlefield filled with celebrating Moonbloods and their allies as they took down the last of the Royal Troops. "Pitiful…self-sacrificing fools."

"Don't you dare speak about Dust like that!" Ash shouted, barely finding her voice as tears streaked past her nose. "You have no right…!"

"If I do not speak the truth that you imbeciles refuse to believe, who else shall?" King Julius growled hatefully. His face was that of someone who knew his best chance of victory was long gone, yet who refused to stand down. "Your precious hero is dead. This is not yet over."

"You just don't know when to quit, do you?" Taka hissed, raising the Starsheen Knives the best she could with her remaining strength. "You've lost, dammit!"

"Not until my last breath has been drawn!" the King barked. "As long as I live, I shall cleanse this kingdom of impurities like you…and all Moonblood kin!"

" _Impurities_?"

The voice was hushed, but nonetheless biting in tone. The party turned towards where they thought they had heard its source — it was coming from where Ginger and Fidget were kneeling by the Blade of Ahrah.

"Uh… Ginger?" Kim frowned. Ginger raised her head, a strange blue smoke emanating around her.

" _You speak of impurities, yet in truth you misunderstand the meaning of the word,_ " the voice came again. The voice was both Ginger's and not Ginger's at the same time — it was mingling with a different voice, one that only Fidget knew.

"No way…" the nimbat gasped quietly as the Blade of Ahrah flickered back to life in Ginger's hand. The woman stood up, and as she did her appearance changed.

By the time she'd turned around, Ginger was hardly recognisable: her fur had turned a pale blue-white, and her eyes were blazing bright blue. Her famous red hair now streaked through a mane of silver, and her dress had been replaced by robes of cyan and grey.

" _Your attempts at purging this land have wrought nothing but destruction and despair,_ " Ginger-but-not-quite-Ginger spoke. " _You claim to rid this world of impurities…the only one I see stands before me now._ "

"How…how dare you!" the King spluttered, taken aback by the display of pure power from the woman before him…

…no. The woman who'd taken on the spirit of Sen-Mithrarin.

" _You ordered the murder of countless innocents…the destruction of countless families!_ " Sen-Ginger growled, their voice raising in anger as they did so. " _Your actions have wreaked havoc upon this kingdom, and you would have destroyed everything if it meant your victory!_ "

Sen-Ginger raised the Blade of Ahrah, blazing in the twilight as it accompanied the blue fire that surrounded them. Ash, Kim, Jarin and Taka felt emboldened by the power coming off them, as Fidget soon began flying by their side, paws glowing. Julius, however, was cowering ever more in fear at the sight before him. For a moment, Ginger's fur and eyes returned to their usual colour, but her expression of pure fury did not vanish.

"Above all…you messed with my family for the last time," she snarled.

"What is…? What are you?!" the King demanded as he raised his sabre, readying himself for what all knew would be the final confrontation.

"This ends here, Julius," Ginger growled, raising the Blade of Ahrah with a strength she knew wasn't her own, but instead came from the lingering spirit of her friend…of her son… "AND THIS ONE'S FOR DUST!"

Something about the fire-like light coming from the Sen-Mithrarin-possessed Ginger seemed to restore strength to the entire group. Invigorated and determined more than ever to end the war, they charged, starting the duel with the King of Falana anew.

Once again, metal rang against metal and fire singed fabric and fur. Ginger moved with every ounce of strength, speed and grace that Dust had ever done in either of his lives, cartwheeling and darting through the fight before adding power to Fidget's projectiles with Dust Storm. There were times, however, where the finesse seemed to slip and Ginger had to rely on her own strength to wield the Blade of Ahrah almost like a club if she had any hope of landing a hit.

"Ginger! Are you okay?" Taka yelled over the clang of blades as she blocked a strike from the King as Ginger faltered momentarily. She seemed to stare into the reflection on the Blade of Ahrah, barely flickering now. Her eyes had gone back to their deep blue, but shining pale blue eyes were staring back at her through the metal — she was certain of it.

"Come on, Dust…just a little longer, please…" she begged. She felt something brush against her hand, almost too lightly for her to have taken notice. Glancing down, she saw the briefest glimpse of a transparent white hand emerging from a grey sleeve. Looking behind her, Ginger swears to this day that she saw an apparition of the young man she'd met in Aurora all those years ago.

 _I'm here,_ she heard. _Let's end this._

Strength renewed and summoning what was left of Sen-Mithrarin's spirit, Ginger charged towards the King once again. With a coordinated strike from Ash, they knocked the King's weapon from his hands and sent him tumbling to the ground. With a cry in a language that no one recognised, Sen-Ginger raised the Blade of Ahrah skyward, at which a beam of light shot towards the heavens. As it did, the sky began burning with a blue-white light that danced across the horizon. The others shielded their eyes but the King froze in terror — those were the Lights of Elysium.

"No…please! Have mercy!" he begged.

" _You told me that mercy was my weakness,_ " Sen-Ginger spoke, their eyes blazing. " _Know that it is a_ weakness _that you no longer deserve. The only ones who can have mercy upon you now are the Overseers,_ " they growled. " _For your sake, I pray that they do._ "

Tendrils of light snaked their way around Julius's wrists and ankled before binding him completely. He struggled against the bonds, crying out in anguish in a final plea for the mercy no one present believed he deserved. But if he wasn't going to accept judgement from his own people, then the Overseers were the only ones that could decide his fate. Just as Dust had done moments before, Julius began breaking apart into a cloud of stars, only he seemed to be burning apart from the inside, scorched by the divine light of the same Life Thread he'd sought to exploit.

As the fallen king vanished and the Lights of Elysium faded, so too did the glowing blue smoke surrounding Ginger and the runes on the Blade of Ahrah. As the light finally faded away, Ginger collapsed with exhaustion, dropping the Blade of Ahrah to the ground with a loud clang.

"Ginger!" Kim yelped, catching the woman just before she hit the ground. "Ginger? C'mon…wake up!" he urged, gently shaking her. Groggily, Ginger stirred and her eyelids fluttered open.

"Oh, thank the Overseers…" Ash sighed with relief. Fidget climbed onto Ginger's lap as Kim laid her down into a sitting position and placed a comforting paw on her hand.

"That…that was quite something, Ginger," she said quietly. "Was that…what I thought it was?"

"I could feel him," Ginger said softly. "He was fighting through me…He was with me."

"Our little hero," Taka realised. "I thought as much."

"It's not fair," Jarin pouted. He'd picked up Dust's satgat and was looking at it sorrowfully, still too proud to openly cry. "We did everything right! We sealed the Life Thread…we stopped the k…I mean, Julius… Why did Dust also have to go?!"

Fidget took a deep breath before reciting the lesson that she'd learned the hard way so many times, so many years ago.

"Sometimes…that's just not enough," she coughed as a sob rose in her throat. "Sometimes, even your best isn't enough to avoid Fate. When the Life Thread calls for you…you must answer."

"Why didn't he tell us?" Ash wondered aloud, repeating Kim's question from earlier. "We would have found another way! He didn't have to…!"

"There was no other way," Ginger wept quietly. "He…he knew that." She remembered what Dust had said the night they'd camped in the Blackmoor Mountains while searching for the shrine. He'd known that he wasn't going to make it…that once more, he wasn't going to avoid the same fate that had befallen him fifteen years ago. "That's why he didn't tell us. Because we wouldn't have done what we needed to do."

"Stupid…self-sacrificiously righteous…idiot…" Ash hiccoughed. Ginger gave a small signal to say that she was fine to get up and walk. With Kim and Taka's help, she got to her feet, picking up the cold and lifeless Blade of Ahrah as she did so.

"Come," she said. "We should find a place to rest. We can meet up with Sanjin in the morning…"

Agreeing wholeheartedly, it was with a heavy heart that the party headed back to the camp. The absence of a blue-white fox was all the Moonbloods needed to know in regards to what had happened, and the celebrations that night were sombre. As Ginger fell asleep, she hummed the lullaby that she'd sung so many years ago to herself, clutching the satgat close as if she could say one final goodbye to the friend she'd raised as a son.

 _After so long, I've now gone home…  
Now that I have reached my journey's end.  
Don't know how long I will be gone…  
But I hope that I'll see you…  
Again…_

My friend.

* * *

The next morning, the group took the teleporter from the camp to the mountains surrounding the Shrine of the Life Thread. They'd taken both the Blade of Ahrah and Dust's satgat with them, planning to lay them in the shrine as a memorial to the hero that Falana had once again lost.

"You think he'd like it?" Ash said, twirling the slightly battered hat in her hands.

"I can't think of any better place to remember a guy like him," Taka smiled. "I'm sure he'd appreciate it."

"Do you think your dad knows, yet, Ash?" Kim frowned. Ash sighed.

"I don't know," she replied. "If he does…I don't know if he's going to forgive himself for this."

"We have to make sure that he knows it wasn't his fault," Ginger decided. "After all, Sanjin saved us all back there…if he hadn't returned the Eye, we wouldn't have been able to hold out against the Souldiers for much longer."

"Ginger's right," Jarin agreed. "He's as much of a hero as Dust ever was in my books."

"Say, Jarin," Fidget piped up. "What are you going to do now? I mean, with the king gone, surely the government's going to be thrown into chaos."

"I'm sure they already know what happened," Jarin shrugged. "They're probably preparing for Ellie's coronation as we speak."

"Oh, man, we're going to need to send one _heck_ of an apology to her…" Fidget winced.

"Hey, I'm sure she was at least half expecting it," Jarin sighed. "I think all the nobles were at some point. He was too far gone. I was the first to leave, I don't think many others would have been far behind."

"Even so, we should travel to Falun in person and seek an audience with Her Highness," Ginger suggested. "We need the chance to explain ourselves…" Ginger broke off suddenly when she felt something tugged in her hand. "And Jarin, stop trying to take Ahrah — you'll slice your hand off."

"I'm not touching it! I swear!" Jarin protested.

"Taka?"

"I am _five feet_ ahead of you! Even if I wanted to I couldn't touch the darn thing!"

"Ah!" Ginger yelped as her hand was suddenly yanked forwards. The others cried out in surprise and ducked as something flew forwards and soared over their heads…

That _something_ was the Blade of Ahrah.

"Wha…?!" Ginger spluttered but Fidget was already two steps ahead.

"HEEEEY!" she shouted, shooting after the wayward sword. "NOT AGAIN!"

"Did…?" Ash blinked in amazement.

"Was that…?" Kim squeaked.

"Did the Blade of Ahrah just fly off towards that mountain?" Taka asked, her voice going up at least an octave. Ginger brought a hand to her face in disbelief.

"How…?" she whispered before scrambling upright and sprinting after the sword with as much speed as she could muster in the snow. The others quickly followed suite, all shouting and scrambling over each other in the rush to figure out what on earth was going on.

Ash and Jarin were the first to reach a ridge which both Fidget and the Blade of Ahrah had vanished over. Taka and Kim had overtaken Ginger but were holding back to make sure she didn't fall behind, but that nearly went out of the window when Ash shrieked loud enough to rival a banshee and went tumbling down the slope.

"No freaking way!" Jarin cheered. Taka, Kim and Ginger had barely reached the top of the ridge when they heard a loud "OOF!" followed by a thump of someone being tackled into a snowdrift.

"What am I going to have to do to _not_ get tackled by someone every other day?" a muffled, laughing voice sounded.

"No way!" Taka exclaimed in amazement and she raced over the slope. "OH, BY ELYSIUM! YOU DID NOT!"

"WHAT THE ACTUAL HECK, MAN?!" Kim cried as he joined them. Ginger stood frozen in amazement at the top of the slope for a moment, tears springing in her eyes once again at the sight she beheld.

There, laughing as Ash pulled him out of the snow and Fidget playfully punched him in the chest, accompanied by an equally joyous Sanjin as shouts of amazement and disbelief echoed through the valleys, was Dust. Floating by his side, glowing as if its light had never gone out, was the Blade of Ahrah.

"Dust!" Ginger shouted as she ran down the slope, tripping over her feet and rolling the rest of the way as she did so. Dust broke free of the group and ran over without hesitation, throwing himself into Ginger's arms as he reached her. Ginger let the tears of joy flood down her face and she hugged the boy close…he didn't look any different to the boy she'd raised for the past thirteen years.

"Mom!" Dust sobbed into her shoulder. "Mom, I'm so sorry!"

"You gave us a right scare, there, Shrimp," Taka laughed and for once, Dust made no sound of protest at the nickname. "You're going to end up giving your poor mother a heart attack one of these days."

"I'm sorry, guys…" Dust winced. "I…I should have told you…"

"What even happened?" Ash asked, looking at Sanjin for answers.

"Well, I could see the Life Thread being fixed after I put the Eye back in the Shrine," Sanjin explained. "I was about to head back to the teleporter when there came a light from inside the shrine itself. I went back in to investigate and…well, you can imagine my surprise when I saw young Dust lying on the altar."

"But…but how?" Ash pressed, turning to face Dust. "We…we saw you disappear! You became a part of the Life Thread! How are you here?!"

"One question at a time, Ash," Kim chuckled. Dust smiled and placed a hand over his heart, as if trying to find something inside himself.

"Because I didn't become a part of it," he replied. "Jin and Cassius did."

"Huh?" Jarin blinked. "But…aren't those your twin souls or whatever? How are you still here if they both became a part of the Life Thread?" Fidget's eyes lit up as she realised exactly why her best friend had come back.

"Because Dust has a soul of his own this time!" she remembered. "The first time he existed, he was two souls bound together, but when he was reborn he had a soul that was all his own!"

"I'm fairly sure this was mentioned at some point," Taka smirked.

"He said he had two souls!" Jarin protested.

"I said two of them died so that I could exist in the first place," Dust deadpanned. Jarin pouted and muttered something under his breath.

"But why'd you disappear?" Kim asked. "Why didn't only Jin and Cassius leave?"

"It's a bit hard to not get dragged along when two thirds of what makes up you are answering an non-ignorable call," Dust shrugged.

"But because your own soul still belonged to the mortal realm, you were able to return," the Blade of Ahrah spoke gently. "It would seem that you have time left in this world after all, Master."

"Finally!" Fidget exclaimed. "Life's throwing you a break for once." Dust laughed before turning to face Ginger again.

"Sorry for scaring you again," he grimaced slightly. Ginger smiled warmly and pulled him back into a hug.

"Don't be, Scamp," she hiccoughed. "I'm…I'm just so glad you're okay…"

A group hug was initiated, with Dust, Ginger and Fidget all in the centre.

"You came back…" Ginger whispered. Dust smiled into her shoulder before replying:

"I came home."


	26. Epilogue

**Epilogue:**

In the months following the death of the tyrant King Julius of Falana, the kingdom seemed to somehow find some semblance of peace again. Under the reign of Queen Elissa, the campaigns against the Moonbloods were finally abolished for good, although unrest still existed in some areas north of the Blackmoor Mountains. To the south of the kingdom, however, peace flourished once again, as all who had ever been affected by decades of war at last had a chance to start rebuilding their lives.

The names of the heroes that had all played a part in saving Falana were known throughout the kingdom, as was what became of them following the peace talks:

Jarin had returned to his position as the Marquess of Ivydale, his entire family working closely with Queen Elissa to maintain the peace in their area. Many Moonbloods from Denham were offered positions in the Duke of Abadis' personal guard, and although Jarin was still a child at heart, word has it that he'd begun to lose his stuck-up attitude and was becoming ever more polite as the days went by.

Taka, Sanjin and Kim had all been granted knighthoods from Queen Elissa, and were now a part of her own closest group of knights. Taka never lost her adventurous spirit, or her silver tongue (or her quick fingers, according to some who had the misfortune of losing their lunches on several occasions), but she was certainly in a better place than thieving on the Sunrose Plains. Kim grew to become the best marksman in the Royal Army and was soon teaching new recruits the arts of using ranged weaponry. Sanjin, likewise, joined the ranks of the Royal Engineers, the first Moonblood in history to do so.

Ash continued to study her magic, and while she was too young for such responsibility at the time, Queen Elissa had offered her the position of Royal Mage as soon as she came of age. Ash, and all who knew her well, were overjoyed at the prospect. Until that day came, Ash dedicated herself to her craft, weaving spells from her magic tome and even adding to its pages, travelling across the kingdom to better the lives of those she could.

As for Ginger, Fidget and Dust? They returned to Aurora Village. The townsfolk rejoiced upon seeing their friends return alive (Dust got tackled again by Kalyn), but Dust refused any further honours in his name. The statue of him from fifteen years ago still stood in the town square, and that along with the Blade of Ahrah were reminder enough of his identity and who he was, and who he would continue to be for as long as Falana needed him.

"Overseers forbid it happens until you hit eighteen at least," Ginger huffed one morning as Dust voiced this over breakfast. "You've had more than enough world-saving for one lifetime."

"Two," Fidget snickered from the perch that Moska had made for her. Dust retaliated by lobbing a spoonful of porridge in her face. "HEY!"

"And no food fights at breakfast," Ginger chuckled. "You're cleaning that, Scamp." Dust also snickered in response before going back to his food.

"It's…kind of strange, actually," he said. "Life going back to the way it was…"

"Thought you were happy to go back to normal?" Fidget pointed out, wiping the last of the porridge from her face. Dust didn't deny that he was, but nonetheless admitted that he'd caught the bug for adventure.

"And more adventures await, Dust," Ahrah said. While it no longer followed Dust around everywhere he went, it still stayed close by and would always answer if Dust needed it to. "After all, you have your own knighthood to look forward to."

"Sir Dust," Fidget grinned. "Or Sir Mithrarin? Which one sounds better?"

"I think I'll go with 'Sir Dust'," the boy laughed. "I've had enough 'Sen-Mithrarin' to last me till the end of eternity." Ginger smiled softly — her son had been through a lot. The least anyone could do was let him be the child he was, at least for a little while longer.

"Well, wherever your adventures take you, know that you have a home to come back to," she said as she sipped on her tea.

"Thanks, Mom," Dust replied, his eyes shining with gratitude. "For everything." Ginger took his hand and gently patted it before glancing at the door.

"Now, hop along, Scamp," she urged. "You're supposed to be meeting Kalyn in a few minutes, right?"

"Ah! I'm late!" Dust exclaimed. "C'mon, Fidget!"

"AH!" Fidget flailed as she fell from her perch. "Gimme a sec!"

Ginger couldn't help but laugh at the two friends as they raced from the house and into the crowds of Aurora Village. She followed them to the door and watched after them for a few moments, waving as she spotted Tristan in the crowd coming up to the house for his physician training. Taking a moment to herself, Ginger smiled and gazed up at the summer sky, dotted with a few cotton clouds.

"Thank you," she whispered. "Help me keep an eye on him."

She could have sworn she saw two birds fly past — one deep blue and the other a dark, cool grey — as if answering her question. Smiling to herself, she let Tristan into the house before taking one last look at the world she called home.

 _This country used to be ravaged by war, with innocent blood spilled on both sides of the conflict._

I lived through this war, and while I lost a lot of people close to my heart, I was lucky enough to know the person who helped to end it. I raised him away from war, and although I never wanted the time for him to fight to come, I dreamed of the day he could finally live in peace.

Six months have passed since my son, Dust, helped to save an entire kingdom from destruction. This country is now rebuilding itself…regaining the glory it once had. Its people are no longer fading, and we're taking back what we once nearly lost.

Peace seems strange after so long at war, but we treasure it while it lasts.

Our home is a world worth saving.

 _ **The End.**_

* * *

 **I've recently posted an update on my profile that I will no longer be updating on this site. In light of that, I decided to post the final two chapters of this story on here, because for a long time I have completely forgotten to do so. I'm sorry it's taken so long, but I didn't realise I had left this story unfinished on this site. For those who want to continue following my writing endeavours, I am mostly active over on deviantART (where I crossposted this story from), so head over there if you want to keep up with my future stories.**

 **Thank you to all the readers who have stuck around for this story, and I hope you enjoyed it.**

 **Keep reading and writing everyone, and I shall see you around.**


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